This Is High School
by IAmTheBattleMaiden
Summary: Natsume, Hotaru, and Ruka had spent every summer vacationing in Makikawa since they were five years old, becoming the best of friends with local resident Sakura Mikan. When it's decided that Mikan will come to Tokyo to attend high school with them at Alice Academy, what kind of adventures await them? More importantly, will she find love? AU, NatsumeXMikan centric, other pairings
1. Like We've Never Been Apart

**Author's Note:** Hello, fellow Gakuen Alice fans! Welcome to my first ever published fanfiction. I'd like to warn you in advance that this is going to be an insanely long story that will strongly focus on Natsume and Mikan's relationship through interconnecting arcs rather than one central conflict/resolution. Basically, I'm sticking every fun scene or scenario possible into one long story that will cover all three years of high school for our favorite group of mischief makers. This story is set in an AU without Alices or magic or supernatural forces of any kind. This is my heartfelt interpretation of Tachibana-sensei's beloved characters in a world of my own imagination. I hope that you'll join me on this journey and enjoy yourself along the way! (Please note that constructive criticism, especially grammar related, is both welcomed and highly encouraged.)

* * *

Chapter 1: Like We've Never Been Apart

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016

Although Makikawa Middle School only had a graduating class of 50 students, the atmosphere wasn't lacking any of the expected pomp and circumstance. Pink crepe paper flowers draped the white washed campus like the sakura blossoms that adorned the trees. Enormous, colorful banners hung above the doorways congratulating the graduating class, almost identical to the ones that decorated the adjacent elementary and high school buildings. Flags lined the walkways and confetti littered the ground. Several signs painted with bold red arrows and the words "End-of-Year Ceremonies" pointed the way to the large double-gym that stood opposite the three school buildings.

With one last tick, the clocks hanging in the empty classrooms struck 3 p.m. Before the dismissal bell even finished ringing, the gym doors burst open as waves of students poured out onto the pavement in search of summer freedom. Joyous whoops and hollers filled the air as friends hugged, high-fived, and made merry, releasing their pent-up energy. Slower to make their way into the bright sunshine were the parents and families who had come to enjoy their children's commencement festivities. From the half of the gymnasium shared by the middle and high school classes emerged an elderly man in a simple gray omeshi, hands clasped behind his back as his squinty eyes peered through the crowd in search of his only granddaughter.

"Jii-chan!"

Sakura Nonno's wrinkled face drew back in a wide smile as his pride and joy bounded her way towards him, waving her white diploma aloft, her face beaming with unbridled excitement.

At 14 years old, Sakura Mikan was still the bright, incorrigible, energetic girl she had been the first day her grandfather had dropped her off for kindergarten. Throughout her three years of middle school, she had traded in her straight and narrow figure for modest feminine curves, though her active lifestyle in the small rural town had kept her slim and fit. She had given up her signature pigtails when she entered middle school in favor of letting her long caramel tresses hang loose, the strands by her face pulled back with a simple white ribbon that she kept tied in a knot rather than a bow at the back of her head.

"Jii-chan, I did it! I'm officially a high school student now!" Mikan's hug nearly knocked her grandfather to the ground, but she managed to steady them both before laughing and rubbing her grandfather's bald head. Sakura-ojii-san chuckled.

"Congratulations, dear one. Your mother and father are smiling down on you just as proud as I am." Glancing beyond her, he winked mischievously and said, "I see some others who I'm sure would like to congratulate you as well."

Mikan turned and squealed with delight when she spotted three young teenagers standing apart from the crowd, casually looking her way. Mikan was on them in a heartbeat, throwing her arms around a girl with short dark hair who made no move to return the hyper gesture.

"Hotaru! Natsume! Ruka-pyon! You made it!" she exclaimed, leaning back from her best friend to look at the two boys standing with her.

Dressed in casual summer attire, the three stood out against the sea of students clad in matching light blue uniforms. Imai Hotaru, Nogi Ruka, and Hyuuga Natsume lived in Tokyo, but had spent each summer in Makikawa since they were 5-years-old. With snow-white skin, brilliant violet eyes, and ebony hair always kept neatly trimmed in a crisp pixie-cut, elegance and refinement defined Hotaru's every look and movement. The rare occasions that she smiled highlighted her delicate beauty. Beside her stood her boyfriend of three years, Nogi Ruka, who smiled through long golden bangs that framed bright sapphire eyes. Boyishly handsome and notoriously kind, he had been compared to a real life fairytale prince since he was small. His best friend stood beside him, hands casually shoved in his pockets, a stark contrast to Ruka's princely glow. Hyuuga Natsume was easily as handsome or more than Ruka, but with jet-black hair and mesmerizing garnet eyes, his good looks lent themselves more to the image of a dark knight than a kindly prince.

"Obviously, baka. Do you have to be so loud about it?" Rather than taking offense at Hotaru's harsh reply, Mikan merely beamed back at the girl, clearly not ready to come down from her emotional high yet. She considered it a sign that her stoic best friend was, in fact, pleased to see her that Hotaru hadn't made any move to resist her tight bear hug.

"We just got here. Everyone else is at home unpacking, but they let us leave to come greet you. I'm sorry we didn't make it in time for the ceremony," Ruka explained, reaching out to give Mikan a quick hug which she returned warmly.

"That's okay. The ceremony was pretty boring anyway. I'm just thrilled to be done with middle school and moving on to high school!" Mikan declared as she bounced on her toes and tightly squeezed the diploma in her hands.

"I'm amazed they let someone as stupid as you graduate."

"Natsume!" Mikan narrowed her eyes at the taller boy and promptly whacked him on the arm with her thick roll of paper. He didn't bat an eyelash. After only a moment, Mikan's glare reverted back to an excited grin as she leapt on the boy, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "I don't even care if you're being a jerk right now. I'm just happy you're here!"

Natsume left one hand in his pocket while the other wrapped around her middle, casually returning her friendly gesture. His face relaxed into a faint smile, but the neutral expression returned when Mikan leaned back to look at him, removing her arms from around his neck to rest her hands on his shoulders. "Eh, you've gotten taller again, Natsume!" She scrunched up her nose and said, "Poo! And I was so excited that I gained another three inches this year."

Natsume smirked down at her. "Give up, Polka Dots. You'll never catch up." Mikan opened her mouth to retort (more because of the nickname than the reference to their irreversible height difference), but before she could, Natsume's arm pulled her closer and he glanced down meaningfully before commenting slyly, "Don't worry though, you've grown bigger than me in other ways."

"Eh?" Mikan blinked. Looking down between them where their chests were pressed against one another, she quickly caught his drift. Instantly, a dark blush colored her cheeks and she pushed him away with a hard shove. "Pervert!"

Natsume's smirk only widened at her reaction before he caught the amused look on Ruka's face and schooled his features coolly.

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Come on, baka. You've left your grandfather over there by himself and I want to greet him." Without waiting for a reply, Hotaru headed in Sakura-ojii-san's direction. Mikan stuck her tongue out at Natsume childishly before skipping next to her best friend and looping their arms together.

Ruka laughed lightly, pleased to see that Mikan hadn't changed too much during the school year. It made him happy to see the two girls walking side-by-side again, knowing that despite her cool demeanor, his girlfriend always missed Mikan very much during their nine months apart.

Natsume and Ruka followed a few steps behind the girls, careful to avoid bumping into the other families milling about. Halfway back to her grandfather, Mikan heard a familiar male voice call her name. She stopped walking to see who was hailing her, Hotaru halting next to her as Mikan still had their arms linked. Behind them, Natsume's eyes narrowed as he recognized a lanky boy with sandy colored hair and cerulean blue eyes weaving his way through the crowd, seemingly in a hurry.

"Mikan-chan!"

When the boy reached them, he leaned over to catch his breath.

"Hey, Shinji-kun," Mikan greeted him with a pretty smile.

Straightening up to look at her, Shinji replied, "I'm so glad I caught you before you left." Swallowing, he glanced at the trio standing with her before asking self-consciously, "Could we talk for a sec? Alone?"

"Sure," Mikan replied without hesitation. Releasing Hotaru's arm, she waved over her shoulder as she told her friends, "Be right back, guys. _Don't_ leave without me!" Their eyes followed her as she and the boy named Shinji moved to the other side of the small quad away from the crowd.

"Bet you ¥10,000 he's finally going to confess to her," Hotaru offered, amusement dancing in her eyes and around her lips.

Ruka grinned over his girlfriend's head. "That's a sucker bet." His eyes slid sideways to observe the tight set of Natsume's lips, a telltale sign that the teen was displeased.

Over the eight previous summers that they'd vacationed in Makikawa, they'd come across many of Mikan's classmates while out and about in the village and its surrounding countryside, but they hadn't made friends with any of them. Natsume had rarely even bothered to remember their names when Mikan introduced them. However, all three of the city kids had taken notice of Akawa Shinji over the years for the simple reason that he was obviously smitten with Mikan. Their naïve friend had never seemed to notice the way the boy's eyes would follow her whenever she was nearby or blush when she smiled at him. Until now, he'd never made a direct move on her and Mikan had never shown any special interest in him. Despite knowing this, Natsume felt himself tense slightly as he watched the scene taking place 50 feet away.

When Shinji stopped and turned to face her, Mikan asked sweetly, "What's up, Shinji-kun?"

Shinji had been in the same class as Mikan on and off since the start of elementary school, which wasn't unusual with only two classes per grade level. He was a nice boy, a bit on the quiet side, but polite and always willing to help. Mikan didn't consider them close by any means, but she liked having him around at school. Unfortunately for Shinji, she felt that way about most of their classmates. Cheeks tinted pink, he suddenly bowed, surprising her.

"Mikan-chan, I like you! Please go out with me!" Although his voice trembled slightly, he didn't stutter or stumble through the words. Caught off guard, Mikan blinked without saying anything. Sensing her uncertainty, Shinji straightened and looked her determinedly in the eyes, hands balled into fists at his sides.

"I'm sorry if this seems sudden, but I've liked you for a very long time and I swore that I would tell you before we reach high school, so this is my last chance. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Seeing the boy's earnestness, Mikan's eyes filled with gentle warmth. Shinji's breath hitched in his throat.

"Thank you, Shinji-kun. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't share your feelings. However, please know that I accept them and am truly honored that you would consider me worthy of your affection." Mikan's steady gaze and kind tone left no room for doubt that her appreciation was sincere. Shinji took a deep breath, then let it out in a rush. Smiling, he bowed to her once again.

"Thank you for listening to my selfish request."

"Anytime," Mikan grinned, bowing quickly before turning with a wave. "See you next term!"

Hurrying back to her friends, Mikan saw that her grandfather had joined them. Smiling, he asked her, "What did that young man want with my dear one?"

Mikan gave her grandfather a carefree smile and answered honestly, "He wanted to know if I would be his girlfriend." She didn't pay attention to Hotaru saying, "You owe me," or to Ruka replying indignantly, "I never agreed to the bet!"

"Oh? And did you grant his request?" Sakura-ojii-san asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Mikan stood up straight and placed a hand against her forehead in mock salute. "No, sir, Jii-chan, sir!"

Chuckling, Sakura-ojii-san turned away from his granddaughter to address her friends. "I gratefully accept your invitation to dinner. I'm going to have a lie down back at the temple first, so I leave Mikan-chan in your care until then. Please give my regards to your mother, Hotaru-chan, and yours, too, Natsume-kun."

Hotaru nodded and gave the kindly old man a small smile. Natsume respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."

"Actually, Jii-chan, I'd like to change out of my uniform before heading to their house, so we'll walk home with you."

The old man smiled, increasing the crinkles around his eyes. Hotaru bluntly chimed in, "It's hot, so I'm going home. Mikan, bring your swim suit." Turning on her heal, she headed back towards the campus' open gate. Mikan whined at the girl's refusal to go home with her first, but Hotaru didn't even look back as she ignored her best friend's protests.

Ruka looked at Natsume, who told him, "I'll walk the baka and Sakura-ojii-san back to their place."

Ruka grinned and replied, "Okay," before hurrying after his girlfriend. Once they were out of earshot, he commented, "You couldn't wait to see her and now you're voluntarily parting ways. What's up?"

Keeping her eyes trained straight ahead, Hotaru answered him matter-of-factly. "I've seen her. She's here. We're here. We'll be together all summer. I'm satisfied." Ruka smiled as he studied her face, noting that the skin between her brows was completely smooth, no longer marred by the deep crease that had been there the entire trip from Tokyo to Makikawa.

Ruka's feelings for Hotaru had grown slowly and steadily, almost unnoticed, throughout their childhood until they had suddenly hit him like a smack to the face when they graduated from elementary school. He knew that some of his friends, including Natsume, didn't really get his romantic attraction to Hotaru (attraction to her as a friend, ally, or formidable opponent, sure, but not as a girlfriend). The reasons that remained a mystery to them were almost stupidly obvious to him, one of them being just how irresistibly adorable Hotaru was when she was feigning indifference to mask her strong feelings of attachment to her family and friends.

Ruka couldn't help grinning at the sappy, affectionate thoughts running through his mind. He'd been a goner for three years now and didn't feel the slightest need to resist his fate. Reaching out to entwine his fingers with Hotaru's, the two continued down the country road with hearts light and spirits high.

* * *

Mikan questioned Natsume about his school year and the trip from Tokyo during the 15 minute walk to the Makikawa Temple where she lived with her grandfather. Her parents had lived there with them until their deaths in a car accident when she was 4-years-old. It had been the following summer that the Imai and Hyuuga families had started spending their summers in the town's largest house, an old mansion right on the beach that they'd updated into a beautiful vacation home. Since Ruka's parents were out of town most of the time on business and their families were very close, he always came with them. The four youngsters had spent each summer together since then, becoming the best of friends. Mikan had been elated when Ruka and Hotaru had become an official couple the summer before starting middle school and the union had done nothing to weaken the group's dynamic.

Mikan had gotten used to Natsume's short, un-detailed explanations of the nine months of the year that he was away in Tokyo for school, so she wasn't put off by his brief responses to her many questions. She knew he wasn't being standoffish; he just wasn't a "chatterbox" as he had referred to her on more than one occasion.

"Congratulations, Natsume-kun," Sakura-ojii-san spoke up after Natsume announced that his soccer team had taken first place in the national championship again. "That gives you a perfect record for all three years of your middle school career, yes?"

"Yes, sir," Natsume replied. Although his face appeared expressionless to the untrained eye, Mikan and her grandfather both recognized by the light look in his eyes and the soft set of his lips that he was pleased.

"You seem to do well at everything you do, young man. Keep at it and you'll surely go places," the old man stated. From Mikan's other side, Natsume nodded his head and replied, "Thank you, sir."

Mikan spotted her home up ahead and took off at a run, calling over her shoulder, "Right now, the only place he needs to go is back to his house with me! I'm _starving!_ "

Sakura-ojii-san chuckled. Natsume shook his head and commented, "She's always thinking with her stomach."

Sliding his eyes towards the young man, Sakura-ojii-san replied, "Aye, but she acts with her heart."

Natsume met his gaze for a moment before looking away with a smirk that did nothing to disguise the affection in his eyes as he watched Mikan disappear through the temple gate.

* * *

"Yahoo!"

Mikan hit the water with a splash, her cannonball sending ripples across the surface of the large pool. Hotaru sipped her cold, tropical beverage from the safety of a lounge chair, sunglasses shielding her eyes. Natsume and Ruka were throwing a spiral-shaped water ball back and forth across the shallow end. When Mikan emerged at the surface of the deep end, she wiped the water from her eyes before swimming to the ladder and climbing out. Skipping over to Hotaru, she grabbed her water bottle off the table and took a large gulp. Looking down at her best friend's relaxed figure, Mikan grinned.

"Why don't you get in with us, Hotaru? All you've done is lie there since we got here. What was the point of asking me to bring my swim suit?"

After changing into her swim suit and throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top, Mikan had joined Natsume for the familiar 20 minute trek to the vacation house with her grandfather's promise that he would join them later. When they'd arrived, Hotaru had already been lounging by the pool while Ruka obligingly rubbed her shoulders. Natsume had snorted at the sight, but kept his mouth shut when Ruka and Hotaru both raised pointed eyebrows at him, sliding their eyes to Mikan, then back to him significantly.

Hotaru sniffed. "The point was to make sure that you'd occupy yourself while I lay out. I've no interest in getting wet today. I'll be here all summer. There'll be plenty of other opportunities to get soaked."

Mikan shrugged. "Suit yourself." She looked up towards the house when she heard one of the backdoors open and close. She grinned broadly. "Aoi-chan!"

"Mikan-nee! It's been a long time!" With silky raven hair hanging just above her shoulders and sparkling ruby eyes, it was obvious that Hyuuga Aoi was Natsume's little sister. Two years their junior, Aoi had just turned 12 a few weeks prior and completed her first year of middle school. Smiling from ear to ear, she leapt down the steps to the pool deck where she threw her arms around Mikan in a cheerful hug. Mikan laughed happily before leaning back to look at her dear younger friend.

"Oh no, I got your swim suit cover all wet!"

Aoi's bright smile remained. "It's okay, I'm gonna get in the water anyway. I got all sweaty unpacking." She gave Mikan a once over before declaring, "That's a different swim suit than you had last summer, Mikan-nee."

"Yep! I outgrew the old one," Mikan replied, adjusting her aqua bikini before grinning. "You've gotten taller, Aoi-chan."

Aoi returned the grin. "Two and a half inches since the start of the school year!"

While the two girls continued chatting, Ruka and Natsume moved to recline against the pool steps, letting the cool water cover most of their bodies. Ruka inclined his head towards Natsume to ask with a low snicker, "Did _you_ notice Mikan-chan's new bikini, Natsume?"

His friend rolled his eyes. "Mind your own damn business, Ruka."

Ruka grinned. "You just couldn't wait five minutes after seeing her again to do something to make her call you a pervert. Keep that up and you'll never get anywhere with her." Ruka's gaze grew sly as he goaded his friend further, "I wonder if Shinji-kun has given up on her or if he'll take another shot at her in the fall once we're back at school." Natsume glared at his best friend whose grin only widened. "Who knows? Maybe by the time we come back next summer, she really will be his girlfriend."

If he had been anyone else, Natsume would likely have half drowned him by now. Since it was Ruka, Natsume only sighed irritably. "What are you getting at, Ruka?"

Ruka gazed across the pool at Mikan and Aoi as they lowered themselves into the deep end, crossing their arms over the side to submerge their bodies while keeping their heads and shoulders above the water so that they could continue their conversation. His eyes moved to his girlfriend lounging peacefully on the deck, soaking in the sun's warm rays, and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face or keep the obvious affection out of his voice.

"I'm saying that having the girl you love by your side is the greatest feeling in the world and there's nothing more regretful than letting the right one slip away. _So don't let her slip away._ "

Natsume snorted. "You should go work for Hallmark when you graduate. You can fill all their cards with cheesy one-liners like that one." He stared intently at Mikan and his sister for a moment before adding, "Besides, you're assuming that she's the right girl for me."

"Isn't she?" Ruka instantly countered as if the answer was glaringly obvious. It hadn't escaped his notice that Natsume, whether consciously or unconsciously, had questioned if Mikan was the "right" girl for him, not if she was the girl he "loved," and wondered what the difference was in Natsume's mind.

Natsume didn't respond. He merely continued to stare, speculation in his eyes, the faintest hint of a crease between his brows.

An hour later, a middle-aged woman with short, tawny brown hair and eyes a lighter shade of violet than her daughter's stuck her head out a window and called out to the youngsters who were hitting a beach ball around the pool.

"Mikan-chan, your grandfather's here and dinner is ready. We're going to eat on the beach tonight, so all of you please walk around the side to the front so that you don't drip all over the house."

"Thank you, Saki-san!" Mikan called to Hotaru's mother. Imai Saki smiled before disappearing back inside.

When everyone had dried off and slipped into their sandals, they made their way around to the front of the house. Blankets and chairs were spread out amid small tables that held food and drinks. Off to the side, a white-haired gentleman in a crisp apron grilled an assortment of meats and vegetables that gave off a mouthwatering aroma. One of the Hyuuga maids and an Imai family butler stood nearby, ready to assist as needed.

Mikan spotted her grandfather sitting in a chair between Saki-san and a gorgeous woman with wavy raven tresses and unforgettable scarlet eyes. When Hyuuga Kaoru looked up and saw the young people heading towards them, she leapt to her feet and quickly closed the distance between them to pull Mikan into an enthusiastic hug.

"Mikan-chan! We missed you! Oh, you've grown so much this year!" Kaoru-san gushed above Mikan's head, swinging her from side-to-side in her mama-bear hug. Mikan laughed delightedly at the older woman's affection.

"It's so good to see you, Kaoru-san!"

"You, too, sweetheart." Kaoru-san moved to put one arm around Mikan's shoulders before suggesting, "I know you're hungry, so let's dig in so you can tell me all about your school year."

"Yes, ma'am," Mikan answered with a broad smile. She adored Natsume and Aoi's mother. Kaoru-san and Saki-san had been the closest things she'd had to a mother since her own had passed away 10 years earlier. Kaoru-san grinned at her children, ruffling her son's hair with her free hand before using it to pull Aoi against her other side, leading the two girls towards the circle of chairs and blankets while Natsume and Ruka followed close behind.

After settling into their seats with plates piled high, conversation flowed easily among the group as the sun began to set and a warm breeze blew across the beach. Aoi laughed at a joke Ruka made before Hotaru shot him in the face with a marshmallow gun that she seemed to produce from out of nowhere. Mikan threw a cube of watermelon at Natsume from her position on one of the picnic blankets, which he easily dodged, his face a picture of disgust, making Mikan laugh. She knew he hated watermelon.

"How's Subaru-kun doing these days, Saki-san?" Sakura-ojii-san asked, setting his plate aside to fold his hands over his stomach.

Saki-san smiled. "Busy as always. He'll continue his clinicals through the summer and fall before graduating in December. He's already lined up to join the staff at Tokyo General after New Year's."

Imai Subaru was Hotaru's older brother. With eight years between them, the two were close when Hotaru was small, but had spent less and less time together as Subaru had become busy with the demands of high school and college. They were very similar in personality and intellect, so this gradual drifting didn't bother Hotaru, who knew that she would someday make the same sacrifices for her education and career. Like Hotaru, Subaru had inherited their father's dark hair and their mother's vibrant eye color. While in high school, he had only spent a few weeks each summer at the vacation home in Makikawa, preferring to spend the rest of his time with his friends in Tokyo. Once he had entered university four years ago, he'd reduced his visits to only a few days each summer. Currently, he was on track to earn his medical degree, the first Tokyo University graduate to ever double-specialize in cardiology and neurology to fulfill his life-long ambition of becoming a world-class surgeon capable of both heart and brain surgery.

"Subaru-kun needs to relax now and then. He should come visit for a few days and have some _fun_ ," Kaoru-san declared, waving a shrimp through the air with gusto.

Saki-san smiled indulgently. "You know Subaru-kun; he's too serious to slow down when he's focused on accomplishing something. That's one of the many traits that he and Hotaru-chan both share with their father."

Their father, Imai Tohru, was the third-generation owner and CEO of Imai Technologies ("Imai Tech" for short), Japan's leading technology company. Like his two children, he was highly intelligent, generally stoic, and tended to become absorbed in his work. Although Subaru and Hotaru had inherited his ebony hair color, neither of them resembled him very much; they had taken after their mother with her violet eyes and fair skin instead of their father's emerald eyes and olive complexion. Despite being tremendously busy running Imai Tech in Tokyo, he always managed to visit his family in Makikawa at least once or twice each summer.

Natsume and Aoi's father, Hyuuga Hatsuharu, was in a similar situation. He kept incredibly busy running Hyuuga Defense Industries, the number one company of its kind in the country (possibly in all of Southeast Asia, as some had argued). Many of their activities in both the private and public sectors were highly classified, but in general, people knew them as Japan's largest military contractor and security firm. One of their major government contracts included the administration and operation of Japan's police force. They provided security services to many private companies and a number of high profile individuals. Additionally, they were industry leaders in both training (combat, search and rescue, survival, etc.) and weapons development. Mikan had always thought that Hatsuharu-san didn't look the part of a tough defense company leader with his "in need of a trim" champagne colored hair pulled back in a short ponytail and gentle hazel eyes. The kind middle-aged man almost always had a smile on his face. Aoi had been a lot like him when she was younger, but over time was becoming more spunky and outgoing like her mother.

As the adults continued their conversation, Aoi pointed excitedly to a large pile of wood stacked between their family picnic and the water's edge where waves lapped softly against the sand. "Honzo-san is lighting the bonfire!"

Mikan squealed with equal delight. "Hotaru, come roast marshmallows with us!"

Hotaru hummed her consent around a mouthful of crab roe. The three girls stood and headed towards the quickly growing blaze. Honzo-san, one of the Imai family butlers, handed each of the girls a metal roasting stick and two large marshmallows. The girls stood or squatted in the sand by the bonfire, holding their marshmallows as close to the flames as they dared. Komaki-san, one of the Hyuuga household maids, passed out chocolate bars and graham crackers.

Mikan and Aoi moaned with delight as they made a playful mess of eating their gooey s'mores. Hotaru nibbled at hers more delicately. After roasting several more marshmallows, Aoi passed a plate of s'mores around for the adults while Mikan plopped down in front of the blanket that Natsume and Ruka were lounging on, propped up on their elbows as they discussed what sounded to Mikan like some type of true crime manga.

Natsume looked up as Mikan offered him a plain roasted marshmallow, a big grin plastered across her face.

"You don't like chocolate, right? So you just eat the marshmallows."

Natsume grunted (which Mikan interpreted as a sound of gratitude) before reaching forward to accept the proffered treat. Satisfied that he'd taken it, Mikan pranced away happily to rejoin Aoi to make another round of s'mores, Hotaru having already sat down to resume eating her crab roe. As Natsume chewed the sticky, sweet substance, he noticed Ruka smiling at him meaningfully. When Natsume narrowed his eyes at him, Ruka only laughed before getting up to go sit by Hotaru.

Alone, heat from the sun-warmed sand seeping through the blanket beneath him, Natsume watched in silence as one of his closest friends in the world frolicked around the beach, her familiar voice wafting towards him on the breeze, her form silhouetted by the setting sun. His conversation with Ruka echoed through his mind.

"… _you're assuming that she's the right girl for me."_

" _Isn't she?"_

* * *

Sakura-ojii-san smiled as he sipped his tea, listening to the jovial sounds of feminine laughter coming from Mikan's bedroom in the living quarters of their home at the Makikawa Temple. Although the youngsters had held their sleepovers at the vacation home far more often than the small temple over the years, he had been only too happy to give Hotaru and Aoi permission to come home with him and Mikan after their picnic on the beach so that the girls could catch up with each other after so many months apart. It did his heart good to see Mikan lively playing with her dear friends from Tokyo each summer. Although she got along very well with her classmates, she had never developed the same tight knit relationships with any of the boys or girls at school that she had formed with the Imai, Nogi, and Hyuuga children. For his part, Sakura-ojii-san adored them and appreciated their parents for being so kind and accepting of his lovely, often rambunctious granddaughter. With a chuckle, the old man rose from his seat and headed for the warm kettle on top of the stove to refill his cup of tea.

In her bedroom, Mikan was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes as she lay stretched out on her back across her beautiful turquoise bedspread covered in bold marigold and fuchsia flowers. Aoi was animatedly retelling a story from Natsume's birthday party back in November. Yomi Kokoro (a close friend of Natsume and Ruka's who went by the name "Koko" for short) had decided to perform the happy birthday song from on top of a table, which had unfortunately tipped over during his performance. Being a natural goofball and generally laid back type of guy, Koko had popped right back up and continued singing, covered from head to toe in party food, before instigating an all out food fight. Listening to Aoi describe the ensuing hilarity sent Mikan into peals of laughter, which then spread to Aoi, who was desperately trying to finish the tale.

"So they… raced out the back doors… and jumped… into the pool… with their clothes still on… to rinse off!" Aoi finally managed to gasp out between heaves of laughter.

Hotaru sat in Mikan's desk chair with a soft smile tilting the corners of her lips as she listened to the story and watched Mikan's enthusiastic reception. Seeing Mikan rolling around on her bed, clutching her sides with tears streaming from her eyes as she hooted and hollered happily, was refreshing in a way that Hotaru had nearly forgotten she could feel after spending another nine months apart.

Every year was the same. They'd spend an incredible summer together in Makikawa. August would roll around and she'd return to her life in Tokyo, leaving Mikan behind in her small, rural village. Mikan would send her letters throughout the school year, which had become text messages and phone calls at the start of middle school when her grandfather had given her a cell phone, and Hotaru would very rarely contact her back. She had never been very good at maintaining long distance communication, especially during the school year when she was so focused on school projects and dabbling in the research and development lab at her father's company. By the time the end of May would finally come around again, Hotaru would feel abnormally anxious and irritable. Returning to Makikawa and reuniting with Mikan would lift her spirits in a way that none of her other friendships could. It was a bit mystifying, really, how the loud, gutsy, energetic girl who knew nothing of the high society responsibilities and pressures that Hotaru and her friends faced in the big city had become such an irreplaceable presence in her life.

Settling down, Mikan asked, "Is Koko coming to visit again this summer? Or Permy?"

"I don't know…" Aoi answered uncertainly, looking at Hotaru questioningly.

"No one has plans to visit this summer and I doubt that anyone will. Most of them have significant travel plans since this is our last summer before high school," Hotaru briefly explained.

Several summers throughout late elementary school and middle school, Koko had come to Makikawa to spend a week at the vacation house visiting Natsume and Ruka, two of his closest friends. Koko and Mikan had gotten along instantly, reflecting each other's bright, cheerful personalities. For the past two summers, he'd brought his girlfriend, Shouda Sumire, with him. Mikan had always thought of Hotaru as "elegantly beautiful," but when she'd met Sumire, the girl had struck her as "glamorously beautiful." She had smooth, structured curls in a natural shade of forest green (which Koko had dubbed "seaweed green" just to aggravate her) and a distinctly curvy figure even in middle school. Koko had found it hilarious and Sumire had found it irritating when Mikan had accidentally called her "Permy" because her hairstyle had reminded Mikan of a perm (which Sumire had quickly informed her that it was not). The nickname had stuck, and although Sumire and Mikan had bumped heads at first, Mikan had quickly won her over. Similarly, Sumire's strong, bold, and straightforward personality, along with her blatant respect, admiration, and loyalty for Mikan's friends, had firmly solidified her place as one of Mikan's favorite people.

"Oh, that's a bummer," Mikan pouted. "I was really hoping that I'd get to see them this summer. Permy sent me this really cute outfit for my birthday a few weeks ago. She's always insisting that I have no taste in clothes."

Aoi laughed. "She's a fashion guru, so don't take it personally. Her mother is one of Japan's most famous designers, so her standards are pretty high."

"Show us the outfit," Hotaru commanded, curious to see what Sumire had chosen for Mikan. Sumire had inherited her mother's talent and had an impeccable eye for what styles suited different people.

Mikan hopped up and pulled a hanger out of her closet. "Permy called it a 'romper' in her card and told me that I need to wear more of them like this."

Aoi hummed appreciatively as she reached a hand out to feel the material and Hotaru had to admire Sumire's choice. The one-piece romper featured draping shorts and short sleeves with a neckline that cut straight across the shoulders and chest. The soft, fluid material was snow white scattered with large, blood red roses in full bloom sprouting leaves and stems of blackest midnight. Structurally, the outfit looked perfectly suited for Mikan's casual, comfortable taste, but the overall appearance was very trendy and fashionable. Mikan enjoyed bold colors, but Sumire had pointed out to her that not every bright, bold color went well with her warm skin tone and hair color. According to her card, the starkly contrasting white, red, and black would give Mikan the vibrant look that she preferred while still looking fabulous and appropriate on her.

"She even told me how to accessorize it and made suggestions for how to wear my hair with it," Mikan said with a grin.

"That's Shouda for you," Hotaru smiled. If nothing else, she respected Sumire's dedication to her craft. "You should wear that the next time we take a day trip to Owase."

"Okay!" Mikan chirped, returning the outfit to her closet.

"It'd make a cute date outfit, too," Aoi grinned mischievously.

"Speaking of dating," Hotaru narrowed her eyes at Mikan, who had returned to her spot on the bed, "what was that today with Akawa Shinji?"

Mikan looked surprised at Hotaru's question. "I told you, he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"Ehhh?!" Aoi squealed, plopping down on the cushy rug shaped like an enormous flower on the floor beside the bed as she gazed excitedly at Mikan. "I haven't heard about this! What happened?"

Mikan smiled innocently. "Shinji-kun confessed to me after the graduation ceremony today and asked me to be his girlfriend, but I said no."

"Eh? Why'd you turn him down?" Aoi asked with a fake pout. She knew who Akawa Shinji was and wasn't actually interested in Mikan dating him. As far as Aoi was concerned, the guy that Mikan should be dating was her older brother. Although Natsume was clearly interested in her (or so it seemed to Aoi), Mikan had never shown a particularly romantic interest in him, at least not that Aoi had noticed. She thought that maybe Mikan showing even a slight interest in another guy might prompt her brother to finally make a move.

Mikan rolled over onto her stomach and rested her chin on her crossed arms before answering Aoi's question. "Because I don't like him that way. Besides, shouldn't I date someone before jumping straight into being their girlfriend?"

Hotaru quirked an eyebrow as she asked, "So if he had simply asked you on a date, you'd have considered going?"

Mikan frowned as she considered Hotaru's question. "I don't know… but probably not. I don't really have a problem with the idea of people casually dating, but I've never really been interested in it myself. I've always hoped that I'd fall in love with a guy after being friends for awhile first, you know? I think it'd be really hard and awkward to hang out with a guy I don't really know that well with the _expectation_ that we're trying to figure out if we could be more than just friends. I don't know, maybe I'm over-thinking it or not being realistic."

"I'm confused," Aoi said, scrunching up her nose cutely. "You want to date a guy before being his girlfriend, but you don't want to date a guy because of the pressure of deciding whether to become a couple?"

Hotaru watched Mikan's face closely as her uncertainty played across her features, wrinkling her brow and weighing down the corners of her lips. "I…" Mikan started, hesitated, then tried again. "I want to be friends first, then date, then become an official couple. That's my ideal scenario, which I know I might not get, but it's what I'd like. I don't want to date a guy that I'm not close friends with. Shinji-kun is a friend from school, but we're not close. I like him as a classmate and I'm not opposed to becoming better friends with him, but I'm not interested in skipping that part and going straight to dating, let alone straight to becoming his girlfriend. Does that make more sense?"

Aoi smiled. "I get it now. I think you're right, it would be nice to fall in love with someone that you know really well and that knows you really well. Ruka-nii and Hotaru-nee are like that, and so are Koko-san and Sumire-san."

Hotaru smirked as she saw the opportunity to neatly lead her friend into a trap and pounced on it. "Do you even have any close guy friends?"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Of course I do! Ruka-pyon and Natsume."

Hotaru's eyes glinted with success. "But Ruka's _my_ boyfriend. Are you saying that you plan to fall in love with Hyuuga?"

 _Bingo_ , Hotaru thought as she watched Mikan instantly blush at the question. _Really, this baka is so predictable._

Mikan was quiet for a moment as she thought about the teenage boy. They'd been friends for a very long time and he meant a great deal to her. Throughout the school year, she'd find herself missing him and wondering how he spent his days back home in Tokyo. Seeing him today after so long had filled her heart with happiness and Hotaru's question filled her mind with unbidden thoughts of what it would be like to be more than just friends with him. She mumbled, "I'm not _planning_ on falling in love with him, but… Sure, I guess I wouldn't really mind falling in love with Natsume." She scrunched up her nose as she added, "Not that he'd ever look at me that way."

Aoi's eyes widened and it took all of her willpower to keep her mouth from dropping open in delighted shock. She caught Hotaru's eye and grinned. Hearing that Mikan might actually be open to—possibly even _interested_ in—dating her brother was a positive revelation if Aoi had ever heard one.

Hotaru nodded subtly at Aoi and pursed her lips to warn her not to say something reckless. Aoi nodded mischievously, correctly figuring that Hotaru was working an angle of some sort.

"Well, Hyuuga _is_ a tough nut to crack, but you're easily his closest female friend, so it is _plausible_ that the two of you could end up together. We'll see," Hotaru sniffed indifferently, purposefully not making a big deal about Mikan's small confession. Her only goal was to plant the idea in Mikan's head that she and Natsume weren't an impossible match and that the idea of them getting together wouldn't shock anyone. Hotaru wasn't going to play matchmaker for the two (though Ruka had suggested it to her several times) and she wasn't planning on making it easy for Natsume to win over her best friend. However, the idea of Mikan selling herself short by assuming that Natsume was out of her league or some other ridiculous notion irritated Hotaru, so she at least wanted Mikan to recognize the possibility of having a relationship with him in case the man ever decided to grow a pair and act on his feelings for the baka. "I'm tired, so let's go to bed," she announced, seamlessly bringing the conversation to an end.

"Okay! You guys can use the bathroom first. I'm going to clean this up," Mikan suggested as she began collecting their snacks and drinks to return them to the kitchen.

"Bring a water bottle back for me, would you?" Hotaru asked as she pulled a toothbrush out of her bag.

"Me, too, please!" Aoi chirped as she did the same. The two girls chatted about what to do the next day as they headed for Mikan's bathroom.

Mikan finished collecting their mess and turned to walk out her bedroom door. She paused when the bulletin board hanging above her desk caught her eye.

Photos layered upon photos showed her and her friends throughout the years, sometimes together, sometimes separated by miles and miles. Her gaze settled on a particular image of a 13-year-old Natsume from last summer lying on the beach with his eyes closed as if asleep, most of his body covered in a mound of sand. In a corner of the picture, Mikan smiled broadly at the camera with her fingers posed in a "V for Victory" sign. She grinned as she remembered that the sound of Hotaru's camera snapping the photo had woken Natsume from his slumber. Upon discovering that he'd been buried in his sleep, he'd sprung up out of the sand like a zombie from the grave. After quickly chasing and capturing a shrieking Mikan, he'd hauled her into the waves to drown her.

The memory was full of laughter and warmth for Mikan, and as she continued making her way to the kitchen, she couldn't help thinking, _Yes, I wouldn't mind falling in love with Natsume._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, there you have it! An extra long first chapter to set the stage.

I'll go ahead and clarify that in my fictitious universe, I've combined the Japanese and American school systems. As with many American schools, school is in session from mid-August to the end of May with a long summer break in between academic years. As with Japanese schools, middle school and high school are each three years long (in America, middle school can be 2 or 3 years and high school is usually 4).

I'd also like to point out that since I'm writing in English about people speaking Japanese, I'll only be using certain Japanese words and phrases that I think will be commonly recognized and that I feel will significantly effect the feel of the story, but I will primarily be sticking with English for the sake of you, the readers (please feel free to PM me for an explanation of any of the Japanese words that you aren't familiar with). Having said this, I admit that I will occasionally throw in some Japanese terms that have no English equivalent (for example, names of certain foods) and will leave it to you to Google what they are if you'd like to enrich your knowledge of the culture. For those of you who are more familiar with the Japanese language, you may recognize some of the English phrases used by the characters as the literal translations of specific Japanese phrases (several examples of this can be found in the confession scene between Akawa Shinji and Mikan).

Visit my profile for a link to the Pinterest page that I created to collect images for this story (not illustrations, just inspirations and representations).

Thanks for reading!


	2. This Unmistakable, Undeniable Feeling

Chapter 2: This Unmistakable, Undeniable Feeling

Two weeks passed in much the same manner as the previous summers. Swimming in the pool, playing on the beach, hiking up the wooded mountain slopes, taking one of the boats out on the ocean, and retreating to the air-conditioned interior of the vacation house were daily activities. With so much rural space to "live and breathe away from the city smog" as Kaoru-san often put it, the young people spent much of their time outdoors.

Surrounded by the Kii Mountains on three sides and the ocean on its remaining side, the small valley town of Makikawa was sheltered from the surrounding countryside of southern Japan. With a population of only 3,600 people, it was a quiet community of farmers, fishermen, and small town shops that didn't attract a lot of tourists, making it the perfect summer hideaway for the Hyuuga and Imai families. A 45 minute drive south of Owase, there was only one major road leading in and out of town, a highway situated atop the sheer cliffs where the mountains spilled into the ocean. Running down from the mountains and into the sea was the Honshu River from whence the town had earned its name of Makikawa, meaning "Winding River."

As was common in such a small town, when a special event took place, the whole village virtually shut down for it and nearly everyone was in attendance. For this reason and since Makikawa Temple was the only local Shinto shrine, Mikan and her grandfather found themselves exceptionally busy preparing for the Summer Solstice Festival set to take place on Monday, June 20th. For the week leading up to the festival, Mikan only left the temple to run errands for supplies and festival related business. Working straight from dawn until well past sunset, Mikan set about her tasks with gusto, never once complaining or losing her bright smile. Part of her enthusiasm came from knowing that she was helping her grandfather with something he was no longer young enough to accomplish by himself, but she also felt genuine pride at being a part of the Makikawa Temple. Of course, there was also the sheer excitement Mikan felt from participating in any sort of festival or celebration. Throughout the week, Ruka, Natsume, Hotaru, and Aoi would stop by for a few hours at a time to help clean the temple grounds, hang decorations, rope off and label the stalls for the vendors, and make sure everything on site was in working order.

On the evening of the summer solstice, the Hyuuga and Imai families, along with Ruka, made their way on foot to the Makikawa Temple knowing that the small shrine had very little parking. It was a beautiful evening and Aoi was nearly bursting with anticipation as the group made the 20 minute trek to the temple.

"Oooh, I hope they have the same candied ginger taiyaki that they sold last year!" Aoi squealed.

Kaoru-san grinned at her daughter. "Forget the taiyaki. I'm heading straight to the Red Sun's booth for some red snapper croquettes!"

Saki-san chuckled. "I don't know how you can stand those, Kaoru. They're much too spicy for me."

Kaoru-san hooked an arm around Natsume's neck as they walked. "Natsume-kun will eat them with me. This kid could eat fire if he wanted."

Natsume smirked at his mother. "I won't promise to leave you any."

Kaoru-san shoved him playfully. "Ha! Then I un-invite you. Stay away from my croquettes!"

Ruka and Saki-san chuckled at the pair's antics.

"Look! Look! There's the gate!" Aoi cried, pointing at the large wooden torii gate that formed the entrance to the grounds of Makikawa Temple. The tall structure had just been given a fresh coat of cherry red paint the week before and the sconces mounted on each pillar were burning brightly for the evening's festivities.

"Aoi-chan! Remember not to run off by yourself. It's too crowded," Kaoru-san reminded her daughter. Even though the group hadn't left for the festival until 7:30, it had officially begun at 7:00, so a large number of people had already arrived.

"Yes, Okaa-san!" Aoi cheerfully replied.

Upon entering the gate, the group was not disappointed. Brightly lit paper lanterns and colorful streamers gave the temple a festive air. Orange flags bearing the symbol of a golden sun lined the temple roof, designating that this was the festival of the summer solstice. Local vendors lined the walkways selling food, souvenirs, and games out of rollaway carts and booths. A group of older men played traditional Japanese instruments in a corner of the central courtyard. Girls in pretty kimonos and boys in their best yukata were packed into every available space. Enticing smells and sounds of gayety filled the air.

The group stopped at various stalls as they made their way through the crowd toward the courtyard at the back of the temple grounds. To the right of the courtyard stood the main temple with its worship hall doors left open for the evening, revealing the sacred altar with its golden lantern stands and incense burners. In front of this doorway, a wide square deck covered in tatami mats for use as a stage extended from the side of the temple. Across the courtyard stood the prayer shed with its offering box and blessed bell, which was rung by those offering their prayers. On the farthest end of the courtyard stood a simple wooden booth where patrons could purchase talismans and fortunes in accordance with the specific event being celebrated.

"Let's get in line to offer our prayers so that we won't get caught in the rush after the ceremony," Saki-san instructed.

As they stood in line waiting for their turn, Ruka noticed Natsume surveying the crowd. "Looking for someone?" he inquired with obvious amusement.

His best friend answered blandly, his expression aloof, "I'm looking for the idiot. With all this food around and no sign of her, I'm worried she might be dead."

Hotaru scoffed. "She gets too nervous to eat before performing, you know that. She'll be ravenous when this is all over though." Ruka chuckled, knowing the truth in his girlfriend's words.

After a short wait, their turn arrived.

"Welcome, everyone!" Sakura-ojii-san hailed the party from his position manning the prayer shed. "Care to give thanks for the sun's provision and wish for a bountiful harvest?" With Makikawa being primarily an agricultural village, the Summer Solstice Festival garnered more prayer offerings than nearly any other annual event.

"Good evening, Sakura-ojii-san," Saki-san offered warmly. Her greeting was repeated by Kaoru-san and the young ones.

Sakura-ojii-san grinned amiably. "My, you all look wonderful, I daresay."

Aoi giggled and spun around to show off her scarlet kimono adorned with bright yellow hibiscus that matched her obi, an identical flower pinned in her hair. Hotaru's kimono was a soft gray covered in swirls of deep violet petals that matched her obi, a delicate cluster of the small flowers pinned to the side of her hair. The two mothers wore simpler kimonos the same shade as their eyes. The boys wore identical yukata in different colors, Ruka's being royal blue with a golden obi and Natsume's jet black with a blood red obi.

"You look pretty handsome there yourself, Ojii-san," Kaoru-san complemented teasingly.

The old man grinned. "I always save my best priest's garb for the festivals. Speaking of which, thank you for helping Mikan-chan dress for the evening, Saki-san. I'm hopeless when it comes to the girly things in my dear one's life."

"My pleasure," Hotaru's mother smiled.

"Where is the baka?" Hotaru asked. Sakura-ojii-san chuckled at the term he knew held more affection for his granddaughter than insult from the stoic girl before him.

"She's working the talisman booth until the ceremony. You won't want to miss her kagura dance this year. She's practiced harder than ever before. She's a beautiful sight to see." Although he was addressing the group, Natsume didn't miss that the old man's keen brown eyes were fixed on him as he spoke.

After dropping their offerings into the offering box, saying their prayers, and ringing the sacred bell, the group stepped aside as Kaoru-san gave them instructions to meet under one of the lamp posts ten minutes before the start of the ceremony, giving them about 45 minutes to explore the festival. As the two middle-aged women wandered back toward the main gate in search of some sweet dangos, Aoi grabbed her brother's hand.

"Onii-chan, I want to buy a talisman!"

Natsume raised a sardonic eyebrow at his sister. "You're not a farmer; what do you want with a talisman for a good harvest?"

Aoi pouted. "They have other talismans besides that one. Pleeease! I want to see Mikan-nee."

Natsume silently considered her plea. He knew that despite her age, Aoi loved it when he spoiled her, and if she didn't get her way, she could nag his ear off with her whining. He grimaced at the memory of Aoi and Mikan working together to get their way with him many times in the past. He sighed. "Alright."

Aoi hugged her brother's arm tightly while she thanked him repeatedly.

Hotaru took Ruka's hand and said, "Buy me a drink," before dragging him in the exact opposite direction of the talisman booth. Her captive called out behind him, "We'll meet you guys later!"

Natsume shook his head. Although he considered Hotaru a close childhood friend, he had no idea what had made Ruka fall for her romantically. Turning, he led his sister through the crowd to the line for the talisman booth.

As they approached, Natsume easily spotted Mikan, her traditional white hakui and red hakama of a Shinto shrine maiden (also called a "miko") standing out against the dull backdrop of the wooden booth. She'd kept her hair down as usual, but it looked much smoother and neater than when she was running around the countryside and she'd even used a fresh white ribbon to keep it out of her face. As they got closer, he also noticed that Saki-san must have done her make-up since her eyelashes were more defined than usual, and her lips and cheeks were rosy. His eyes softened faintly when he saw that she was wearing one of her most treasured possessions, a pair of pearl stud earrings that had belonged to her mother.

When she spotted them, Mikan grinned broadly and waved. The group of boys she was servicing turned to see what had caught her attention and Natsume stiffened slightly when he recognized one of them as Akawa Shinji. Catching Natsume's eye, Shinji's face turned red and he quickly ushered his friends away after saying goodbye to Mikan.

"Mikan-nee, you look great!" Aoi gushed. "And the temple looks amazing, too!"

Mikan laughed delightedly. "Thank you! We wouldn't have finished in time without all of the help you guys gave us. You look incredible, too, Aoi-chan! That kimono suits you perfectly!"

Raising her eyes to Natsume, Mikan complimented brightly, "You look fantastic, too, Natsume! Traditional clothes really suit you."

Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "You flirting with me, Polka Dots?" He purposefully used his nickname for her that she hated the most. He'd given it to her during his first summer in Makikawa when she'd tripped, flipping her skirt up to reveal a pair of polka dot print panties that a 5-year-old Natsume had decided were childish, completely ignoring that Mikan was, in fact, a child at the time. He'd never admit it, but she'd caught him off guard when she'd instantly tackled him to the ground, calling him a "big meany" and starting the first wrestling match he'd ever had with a girl. Natsume was convinced that this early incident had laid the foundation for Mikan and Hotaru's close friendship.

True to form, Mikan's eyes narrowed at the nickname. "Sure," she smirked. "If I inflate your ego enough, maybe I can tie a string around your ankle and tote you around like a balloon."

Aoi snickered gleefully. Trust Mikan to sass her brother as if he _wasn't_ devastatingly handsome and filthy rich. "If you two are done with your battle of wits, I'd like a weather talisman and a growth talisman, please."

"You know the growth talismans are for crops, not people, right, Aoi?" Natsume asked incredulously.

Aoi stuck her tongue out at him. "It never hurts to try."

Mikan smiled as she pulled the two requested talismans off their pegs and handed them to Aoi, who quickly pulled some cash out of her little drawstring purse.

"Thank you, Mikan-nee! Good luck with your performance! I can't wait to see it!" Aoi chirped, waving as she twirled away.

Before following his sister, Natsume quickly asked Mikan, "Will you be working after the ceremony?"

Mikan smiled as she answered, "Saya-senpai is taking over for me, so Jii-chan said that I'll be free until closing, then I'll have to help shut everything down, but we'll save the main clean up for tomorrow." Tanaka Saya was several years older than Mikan and one of the few people that Sakura-ojii-san hired to help out at the temple for busy occasions such as the festivals.

Natsume nodded, mentally making a note to catch up with her later.

After visiting a few more stalls, Natsume and Aoi returned to the designated lamp post. The crowd was beginning to gather in the courtyard in anticipation of the night's main event, so Natsume held Aoi's hand tightly as he lead her through the sea of people.

Right on time, the small band stopped playing. A hush fell over the crowd, interrupted only by the excited giggles of a few small children and the soft shushing of their parents. One of the musicians climbed the short flight of steps to the deck where a large gong stood off to one side. Raising a mallet, he gave the gong a single swift strike. The deep percussive sound rippled through the air and sent tingles down everyone's spines.

From the back of the makeshift stage, Sakura-ojii-san stepped forward. His tall black hat, voluminous white robe, and large black shoes made him appear more imposing than usual. When he had reached the front of the deck, he clapped twice before raising both hands out over the audience.

"Turn!" As one, Sakura-ojii-san and the crowd turned to face the sacred altar through the open doors of the worship hall. "Bow!" As one, they bowed. "Rise!" As one, they straightened.

As the crowd looked on, Sakura-ojii-san approached the sacred altar, lighting the lanterns and the incense burner before opening the little wooden doors at the top of the altar, revealing the inner sanctuary. Inside sat an old stone statue of kami resembling an old man. Sakura-ojii-san clapped twice once again. "Bow!" As one, the audience bowed with him, this time maintaining the posture of respect and humility as their chief priest recited the ancient norito.

With his brief recitation complete, Sakura-ojii-san remained bowed as he backed away from the altar, only rising and turning to face the audience once his feet had left the worship hall and were back on the deck. "Rise!" The audience straightened.

"There she is!" Aoi squealed as quietly as she could, openly pointing to the back corner of the stage where Mikan had just appeared. Mikan and her grandfather passed each other in silence as they traded places, her grandfather taking a seat on a special zabuton cushion set up specifically for the chief priest to observe the sacred kagura dance.

An appreciative murmur ran through the audience as Mikan stepped into place at center stage. For the ceremony, she had added two special pieces to her wardrobe. The first was a flowing white haori stitched with golden thread that she wore over her normal miko attire. The second was a golden tiara woven to depict a blazing sun with red tassels hanging off of each side, effectively framing her face. In her right hand was a tower of golden bells atop a wooden handle wrapped in strands of colorful ribbon that flowed off the end like a rainbow tail. In her left hand was a crisp green branch covered in feathery little leaves.

A gentle smile graced her lips as she stood to attention waiting for the music to begin, her eyes focused over the heads of the audience. As soon as the lyrical sounds of the small band began to flow, Mikan began to move.

As he watched her, Natsume could tell why her grandfather had particularly praised her performance this year. Mikan had always delighted the crowd with her kagura dances ever since she first began performing them at age 8, but it had been mostly due to her vibrancy, the unhindered way that she moved, full of energy and joy. Through years of practice, she had increased her knowledge of specific steps, movements, and sequences, while also learning to reign in her excited energy in order to focus on her execution. As her feet moved to the rhythm of the drums, her body swayed and twirled with the sound of the flute, and her hands deliberately guided her props through the air in time with the cymbals, Mikan radiated a kind of beautiful grace that she hadn't always been able to pull off. Her hair rippled and waved as she spun, the bells' ribbons following her as faithfully as her shadow. If the sight of her smooth, accurate movements wasn't enough to confirm her talent, the sound of them was; her feet moved silently across the tatami mats, and in her steady hand, the bells made no sound until she intentionally rung them.

With a final flourish, Mikan's movements ceased along with the music, her back to the crowd. After a brief pause, she approached the altar with light, even steps, then raised both hands in front of her and shook the bells and the branch five times as if to wave their auras toward the inner sanctuary where the kami statue sat. She then placed the bells and the branch on an offering tray at the front of the altar. Bowing low, she backed away just as her grandfather had done, only rising once her feet had fully returned to the stage. Turning back toward the audience, Mikan folded her arms, hands disappearing into opposite sleeves, and stood as perfectly straight as she could. Taking a deep breath, Mikan let it out in a loud, clear voice as she sang four lines of ancient Shinto prayer praising the provision of the kami who blesses the harvest and feeds the people.

As the last note hung in the air, Mikan turned and bowed to her grandfather, who traded places with her once again. Sakura-ojii-san led the people in the same pattern of bows that had opened the ceremony, this time closing the little doors of the inner sanctuary before making his exit. Once he had returned to his position at the front of the stage, he raised both hands over the crowd and blessed them with a smile. The crowd repeated the blessing back to him before breaking into cheers and applause. Sakura-ojii-san bowed to them before exiting the stage. The band resumed their festive music and the crowd began to disperse, some returning to the booths for more merriment and others making their way to the gate to head home.

"Sakura-ojii-san wasn't kidding. Mikan-chan was phenomenal this year!" Kaoru-san cooed like an adoring parent.

Aoi sighed heavily. Leaning toward her, Ruka asked, "What's wrong, Aoi-chan?" Aoi looked up at him and wrinkled her nose.

"We only ever get to see Mikan-nee's summer solstice performance. I wish we could be here for some of the other festivals," Aoi pouted.

Ruka smiled and rubbed her head affectionately. "I'm sure if you ask her, she'll show them to you, your own private show."

At that moment, Mikan came hurrying up to their group, no longer wearing her ceremonial haori and tiara.

"Found you!" she announced with a grin.

"You were beautiful, Mikan-nee! Will you show us your other dances sometime? Pleeeeease!" Aoi clasped her hands and batted her eyelashes, teasingly overdoing her begging a bit the way she sometimes did with Natsume.

Mikan blinked, then smiled. "Sure, Aoi-chan. I'll probably be a bit rusty though."

Kaoru-san and Saki-san offered Mikan their congratulations on her performance. Even Hotaru rewarded her best friend's efforts with a small, indulgent smile. "You did well."

Ruka chipped in, "Really, Mikan-chan, you were absolutely fantastic."

Mikan blushed with embarrassment from all of the praise and thanked them earnestly.

Aoi elbowed her brother's side. "Wasn't she good, Onii-chan?"

Natsume lifted his gaze from Aoi to Mikan and was mildly surprised to see expectation in her amber eyes.

"It was incredible…"

Mikan instantly beamed, but Hotaru's eyes gleamed knowingly at him.

"…that someone as klutzy as you managed to do all of that twirling without falling flat on your face."

Mikan was on him in an instant. "Natsume, you jerk! I'm not nearly as clumsy as I used to be! I worked really hard to get all those steps down so I wouldn't trip! Besides, what do you know about it? I bet you've never danced a day in your life!" She was shaking fistfuls of his yukata as she ranted. His expression remained completely neutral, obviously unaffected by the girl's tirade.

Suddenly, Mikan's stomach growled audibly. She froze before leaning over and resting her forehead against Natsume's chest, still gripping the front of his yukata.

"Are you okay, Mikan-chan?" Saki-san asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm so hungry…" Mikan moaned.

"Told you so," Hotaru said smugly.

Kaoru-san placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Well then, Natsume-kun, please see to it that Mikan-chan gets as much to eat as she'd like. Don't make the girl pay. That's unmanly," she winked. "Come on, Aoi-chan. Let's see if we can win a goldfish before we go home." Aoi grinned as she took her mother's hand and the two walked off, Kaoru-san calling over her shoulder, "Meet us at the gate 10 minutes before closing!"

Saki-san turned to her own daughter. "Shall we go to the sweets stand and pick out some candies to take home?"

Hotaru's eyes softened in the affectionate way that only their mother-daughter bond could bring out. "Let's do that." Turning to Ruka, she said, "Come carry our bags."

Ruka grinned before patting Mikan's head, which was still bowed against Natsume to combat the nausea that had suddenly caught up with her from not eating for too many hours. "Catch up with us after you've eaten, Mikan-chan."

Mikan let out a soft moan as Ruka hurried after Hotaru and her mother.

Natsume sighed before looking down at Mikan's head. It wasn't unusual for his mother to ask him to look out for Mikan by walking her home or helping her do something that she was bound to injure herself trying to do on her own, but he suspected that his mother had an ulterior motive for asking him to get the girl dinner by himself. Not that it bothered him really. It was just in his nature to be observant and take note of anything out of the ordinary.

Placing his hands on Mikan's shoulders, he gently pushed her down so that she was sitting on the cement base of the lamp post.

"Stay here. I'll be right back. Keep your head down; you'll ruin your outfit if you throw up."

Mikan neither nodded nor spoke, but kept her head down as instructed.

A short while later, Natsume returned with a brown paper bag in each hand to find Mikan smiling weakly at a group of girls that looked to be about their age. When he got close enough, he could hear them complimenting her performance.

"You looked so calm! I'd be terrified having a big audience watch me like that."

Mikan replied to the emerald-eyed blond who had spoken, "I just try not to think about it." Seeing that Natsume had returned, she said, "Excuse me, it looks like I finally get a chance to eat some dinner. I'm so glad you enjoyed the ceremony! I'll see you all later!"

Natsume ignored the way the girls' eyes surveyed him closely as Mikan stood to join him and the way they whispered and giggled when he led her away. He got those looks often enough back in Tokyo just for being who he was, but he knew that many of Mikan's classmates had speculated about her friendship with the four rich kids who stayed in the old mansion on the beach each summer. It had only bothered him once a few summers ago when it reached his ears that someone had spread a rumor among the village children that Mikan only got to hang out with them because her grandfather got paid for her to be their pack mule during their vacations in Makikawa. When he'd asked her if she was being picked on, she'd laughed and mentioned that very rumor, assuring him that it was completely harmless and she wouldn't care even if someone actually believed it.

The two sat down on the steps leading up to the temple's deck. Opening the first bag, Natsume handed her a bottle of cold peach tea and set his own bottle of plain soy milk aside. Opening the second bag, he pulled out two warm cartons and two sets of chopsticks. When Mikan opened hers, she nearly drooled at the steaming pile of chicken yakisoba. Separating her wooden chopsticks, she folded her hands and declared, "Itetakimas!" before taking her first bite. She seemed to revive as she dug into the warm meal. Natsume paced himself more evenly with his beef udon.

When Mikan had finished, she turned her chopsticks on Natsume's dish, plucking a piece of beef from the pile of noodles and popping it into her mouth. Natsume counted to three in his head before Mikan's eyes bugged out of her head as he had expected. Frantically opening her bottle of tea, she gulped down half of it before gasping for air and thwacking Natsume on the chest with the back of her hand. He didn't bother trying to conceal his smug smile.

"Natsume! Why do you always dump red pepper on _everything_?! Isn't _anything_ hot enough for you just the way it is?" she sputtered, trying to cool her mouth by intermittently taking deep breaths and swigs of tea.

"I like things hot," he smirked, continuing his meal without skipping a beat.

Mikan grumbled under her breath and continued to take sips from her peach tea.

When Natsume had finished eating his noodles and the two had drained their drinks, Natsume asked Mikan, "So? Are you satisfied?"

Eyes twinkling mischievously, Mikan replied, "Of course not! There's way more good food here that I want to try. Let's go, let's go!" She leapt up from the step and reached for Natsume's hand, pulling on it teasingly to try to get him out of his seat. Natsume sighed as if it was all a big bother, but slowly stood anyway and gathered their trash.

Natsume and Mikan roamed the temple grounds together sharing various foods from the vendors, many of whom gave Mikan hers for free because she was the temple's miko (Natsume made sure to pay for her food when they didn't). Mikan accepted their generosity gratefully, sharing smiles and laughs with the men and women running the booths since she was acquainted with all of them from organizing the festivals each year. Many of them offered her compliments on her performance, causing Mikan to beam with pleasure.

Occasionally, the two would stop by one of the game stalls. Mikan was usually the one who wanted to try them, sometimes challenging Natsume to compete with her. They never stayed at one stall very long though as Mikan wanted to see as much of the festival as she could before the temple closed at midnight. She greeted various people she knew, many of them classmates and teachers, as she explored the festival with Natsume. Despite keeping an eye out, they never spotted anyone else from Natsume's group.

Although most of the families with small children had left after the ceremony, the temple was still fairly crowded. When Mikan suddenly found herself separated from Natsume as they squeezed through a particularly jam-packed walkway, she instinctively called out his name. Instantly, she felt a firm grip on her hand as Natsume pulled her closely behind him until they made it to a less congested area.

"Thanks," Mikan breathed, gazing up at Natsume with a smile. Natsume merely nodded, wondering if the blush coloring her cheeks was from the heat of the crowd or because they were holding hands. Mikan hadn't pulled away yet and Natsume found that he had no desire to break his hold on her hand himself.

Pulling his cell phone from his pocket with his free hand, Natsume checked the time. "It's 11:40. We should head towards the front. Okaa-san said to meet by the gate 10 minutes before closing."

"Okay," Mikan chirped happily, squeezing Natsume's hand as they continued their trek across the temple grounds.

When they reached the gate, they found the rest of the group already waiting for them. Although Mikan seemed oblivious as she immediately started chatting with Hotaru and Aoi about the festival, Natsume's sharp eyes noticed the way his mother grinned and whispered something to Saki-san, whose gaze dropped to his and Mikan's entwined hands before she also smiled. A sidelong glance and a smirk from Ruka confirmed that his best friend had also noticed. Natsume was sure that Hotaru was also aware, but in keeping with her stoic character, she didn't express it. Aoi was the only one who might have genuinely missed the rare display, but Natsume honestly doubted it since he and Mikan were doing nothing to hide it.

"Now that Natsume-kun is here, let's head home. This gate is going to get pretty tight in a few minutes when the festival closes and everyone tries to leave at once," Kaoru-san suggested.

As Mikan exchanged goodbyes with everyone and Natsume could feel the end of his evening with her rapidly approaching, he decided that one rare action deserved another. As his friends and family began to move towards the exit, he looked down at Mikan and said, "You should spend the night at our house tomorrow."

Although Mikan had spent the night at her friends' vacation home too many times to count, it was usually suggested by one of the girls or their mothers. For Natsume to directly initiate the sleepover was rare indeed, so the brief look of surprise that crossed Mikan's face was understandable, but quickly replaced by a pleased grin. "Okay! I'll head over as soon as we finish cleaning up from the festival."

Natsume nodded. With a final squeeze, he released her hand and turned to follow his family and friends through the temple gate.

The sudden loss of Natsume's warm hand in hers stirred something inside Mikan. She lunged forward, catching the edge of Natsume's yukata in her outstretched fingers as she called out, "Natsume!" The teenager turned back around to look at her, his eyebrow raised in silent question.

Mikan's gold-flecked amber eyes locked with Natsume's garnet ones. She'd always loved his eyes, not just for their unique color, but for the way they seemed to constantly flicker and swirl as if liquid fire lived behind his irises. Gazing into Natsume's eyes, so familiar to her after all their years together, Mikan felt her deep affection for him bloom in her chest like a sweet, gentle warmth.

"I had fun tonight. Thank you for escorting me around the festival," she told him sincerely, her eyes shining with an unmistakable emotion that made Natsume's heart skip a beat even before she stretched up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. A moment later, she was darting off to stand by the gate with her grandfather, bowing to the crowd of villagers who were heading home and thanking them for their patronage.

Vaguely, Natsume heard the music from the courtyard cease, followed by the sound of the giant gong ringing out over the temple announcing the official end of the festival. Finally peeling his eyes away from the pretty miko, Natsume swiftly made his way through the throngs of people to catch up with his family and friends on their way home.

For the rest of the night, he swore he could still feel a pair of soft, warm lips pressed against his cheek.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

It surprises me that I've never read a fanfiction in which Mikan's grandfather is a priest and Mikan a miko (not that there necessarily aren't any, just that I've never found one). Sakura-ojii-san is depicted as a very traditional old Japanese man in both the manga and the anime with his clothing style and the design of his house. In the manga, he refers to Mikan's mother, Yuka, as a "celestial maiden" (which makes me think of an angel) when she leaves an infant Mikan with him. These two aspects about him inspired me to write him as the village's Shinto priest (I thought that the manga never tells us what his occupation is, but reviewer Air High mentioned that it might have said somewhere that he was a retired daycare worker. My bad!) and make their home the Makikawa Temple. When asking myself questions about what Mikan's life growing up with him would be like, making him a priest whose granddaughter helps him around the temple just seemed to fit.


	3. With You Beside Me

**Author's Note:** It's my hope and intention to post a new chapter every Friday as a weekend treat for all of you wonderful readers. Trying to stick to a schedule will also keep me from posting everything I've written all at once and then falling behind when it takes me longer to produce the next chapter.

Without further ado, here's Chapter 3! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: With You Beside Me

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016

Mikan couldn't help sleeping in the morning after the Summer Solstice Festival. It had been 20 minutes after midnight by the time the last guest had made it out the temple gate. Mikan, her grandfather, and Saya-senpai had then assisted the vendors with closing down their stalls, a task which was greatly simplified by the many rolling carts and portable booths. Since Saya-senpai went home with one of the vendors who was also her neighbor, that left Mikan to shut off all of the special lighting that had been used for the nighttime festival, put out the lanterns and incense burner by the sacred altar, close and lock the doors to the temple's worship hall, and collect the offerings from the prayer booth so that they could be locked in the temple's safe where her grandfather also deposited the cash from the talisman booth. When Mikan had finally made it to her room for the night around 2 a.m., she'd only had the energy to take out her earrings and undo her hakui and hakama, which she'd let slide off her body into a pile on the floor before she'd collapsed face first onto her bed in exhaustion.

When she finally felt rested enough to face the day ahead, the first thing she did was hop in the shower. She would have enjoyed a bath, but she remembered Natsume's invitation to spend the night and wanted to get started on cleaning up the temple grounds as soon as possible so that she could head over to the vacation house. With that thought to motivate her and her tired muscles revived by the shower's hot water, Mikan made quick work of changing into a hot pink t-shirt, gray sweat shorts, and sneakers. Throwing her long, damp hair into a simple messy bun, Mikan headed for the temple's small kitchen to find her grandfather already up and sipping a cup of hot tea at a little two person table by the window.

"Good morning, Jii-chan!" Mikan greeted, planting an exaggerated kiss on top of the old priest's bald head as she passed him on her way to the kettle perched on the stovetop.

"Good morning, dear one," Sakura-ojii-san chuckled, always amused and cheered by his granddaughter's energetic attitude. As he watched her make herself a cup of tea, he let his mind wander to her beautiful kagura dance the night before. Seeing her all dolled up and wearing her mother's earrings had reminded him greatly of his daughter, Yuka. Although Mikan definitely got her bright, playful spirit from her father, Izumi, she looked more and more like her mother every day. The old man's heart warmed at the thought.

 _She's done us all proud, Yuka, Izumi. Thank you for leaving me your greatest treasure._ He sent his thoughts toward the heavens before Mikan's voice shifted his attention.

"What would you like for breakfast, Jii-chan?" Mikan asked as she blew on her steaming mug of tea. She had taken over most of the cooking by the time she'd reached middle school and had grown to really enjoy fixing home cooked meals for the two of them. She tended to make larger batches of food during the summer so that her grandfather would have leftovers to eat on the many occasions that she was out spending time with her friends.

"Why don't we skip the hassle and mess this morning and just eat some of the leftovers that the vendors gave us last night? There's plenty to feed us for a day or two and we have enough work ahead of us without dirtying extra dishes," he suggested amiably.

Mikan grinned, happy at the offer of a shortcut in their routine this morning. She knew her grandfather was right, they did have quite a bit of work ahead of them and she wanted to get it done as soon as possible. Since she'd spent all of her free time during the festival with Natsume, she'd only gotten a few minutes with her other friends and she wanted to be able to relax with them tonight.

Despite this line of thinking, her thoughts kept returning to the lighthearted feeling of holding hands with Natsume and the way her heart had jolted when he'd unexpectedly invited her to spend the night. Mikan chose not to dwell on why being invited by Natsume had excited her more than being invited by any of her other friends. She'd always been more of a feeler than a thinker, so she just went with it rather than trying to analyze the reasons behind her emotions.

After a quick breakfast, Mikan and Sakura-ojii-san headed outside to begin the cleanup of the temple grounds. Mikan focused on the labor-intensive work that her aging grandfather couldn't do as easily, such as climbing the ladder to take down the decorations hanging all around the temple grounds. Her grandfather worked on the deck surrounded by open boxes, sorting and packing the decorations and supplies that Mikan brought to him in preparation for returning them to storage.

After a few hours, the only decorations remaining were the flags lining the temple rooftop. Getting the thick canvas bag that stored the flags from her grandfather, Mikan leaned the ladder against the side of the temple and made her way up. Since different flags were hung for each festival, Mikan had plenty of experience with setting them up and taking them down. Walking along the rooftop, she stopped at each flag to unscrew the base of the pole from the anchors attached to the roof. Once detached, she would twist the pole around and around until the flag had completely wrapped itself around the pole. Dropping it into the canvas bag hanging from her shoulder, she would move on to the next one. She was more than halfway through when a friendly shout made her look down toward the temple gate.

"Mikan-nee!" Aoi waved enthusiastically as she made her way toward the temple with her brother, Hotaru, and Ruka in tow. Mikan grinned broadly and took a step forward as she waved back.

"Hi, guys—" Mikan's delighted shout became a shocked gasp as her foot caught the anchor from which she had just unscrewed a flag. The sudden jerk sent the partially filled canvas bag sliding off her shoulder. The combined momentum of her forward motion and the falling bag pitched her down parallel to the roof's edge. The left half of her body slammed into the roof before following her right half completely over the edge. It was only years of precariously climbing trees and rocks in the rural village that gave her the instinct to grab the edge of the roof as her body rolled off of it. The bag and the flag she had just unscrewed landed on the ground below her with a nerve-jarring metallic clatter.

Heart pounding madly, Mikan gripped the roof's edge as hard as she could, her feet dangling uselessly beneath her. A split second later, she felt strong hands grab her ankles.

"Steady yourself!" Natsume commanded from beneath her. With Natsume supporting her from below, Mikan adjusted her grip on the roof as Ruka arrived only a moment behind Natsume.

"Hold her feet," Natsume directed him. Ruka nodded and stepped directly beneath Mikan. He reached his arms up over his head and gripped the bottom of her sneakers. "You got her?" Natsume asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Ruka responded, focusing on supporting as much of Mikan's weight as he could to alleviate the strain on her hands.

Natsume released Mikan's ankles and stepped back, positioning himself a few feet behind Ruka and slightly off to the side. "Alright, Polka Dots, cross your arms over your chest and just let yourself fall backwards. Easy does it."

Natsume half expected her to question his instructions, but Mikan needed no such reassuring. Exactly as he'd told her, she gently let herself fall backwards, crossing her arms over her chest as she fell to keep them out of Natsume's way as he easily caught her in a classic bridal hold.

Finally out of danger, Mikan heaved a sigh of relief. Looking up at Natsume's face with a cheeky smile, she held her fingers up in a "V for Victory" pose and declared, "10 points!" She laughed when Natsume glared at her.

"Are you okay, Mikan-chan?" Ruka asked as he stepped closer to look her over.

She gave him a thumbs up. "Fit as a fiddle."

"I don't know…" Ruka replied uncertainly, his voice colored with concern. "Your arm looks pretty red."

Mikan looked down at her left arm, which had hit the roof before she'd fallen off. Ruka was right, it did look pretty red, although it didn't seem to hurt.

"Mikan-nee! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have shouted at you like that while you were up on the roof! It was all my fault. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Mikan grinned at Aoi's frantic tone. "Relax, Aoi-chan. I'm fine. Natsume and Ruka-pyon saved me. Don't worry about it." She reached out a hand to brush Aoi's bangs back reassuringly.

"She's right, Aoi-chan," Hotaru spoke calmly. "No one is to blame but the klutzy baka herself."

"Hey!" Mikan pouted animatedly, not actually offended by her best friend's name calling. The adrenalin rush from her close encounter had started to fade, sapping some of Mikan's energy. When she allowed her head to flop down onto Natsume's shoulder, she thought she heard him mutter the word "baka" under his breath before heading towards the steps to the deck where he gently set her down to recover her strength. Doubtless, if he'd tried setting her on her feet right away, she would have fallen over.

"Whoo! I guess that was a pretty close call though. Thanks for rescuing me, Natsume, Ruka-pyon." Mikan gave them a grateful, but tired smile as leaned against the stair rail. "What are you guys doing here, anyway?"

At Mikan's question, Aoi finally smiled. "We brought food! Saki-san was worried that you wouldn't eat a good lunch because of all the clean up, so Okaa-san had Futaka-san pack us a picnic and asked us to bring it over." Aoi pointed to two large picnic baskets sitting off to the side.

"How thoughtful," Sakura-ojii-san smiled from his seat up on the deck. He hadn't said anything during Mikan's misadventure, which had quite startled him, but now that he was sure that she was safe and unharmed, he told the young people, "I was just beginning to get peckish. Why don't we all eat out here on the deck since we haven't put away the tatami mats yet?"

It didn't take long for Ruka, Hotaru, and Aoi to unpack the picnic baskets. When Mikan offered to help, Hotaru gave her a frosty stare that clearly warned Mikan to stay in her seat and continue to recover from her fall or there would be consequences. Mikan knew better than to push her luck against the Ice Queen. Admittedly, Hotaru's way of showing she cared was unconventional, but because Mikan recognized it for what it was, she genuinely appreciated it.

As the group began eating, Mikan noticed that Natsume had disappeared somewhere while the picnic was being laid out and wondered where he'd gone. Before she could pose the question out loud, she saw him emerge from the temple with a dishtowel in his hand.

"Hold this," he ordered, dropping the bulky dishtowel on her left arm. As soon as it touched her skin, Mikan realized that the dishtowel was wrapped around a bag of ice. She hadn't wanted to say so, but her arm had begun to hurt as the pain-numbing adrenalin had steadily worn off.

"Thanks, Natsume," Mikan said gratefully, smiling as he plopped down next to her and grunted in acknowledgement.

As the girls began discussing last night's festival and the boys got into a casual debate with Sakura-ojii-san about the pros and cons of video games versus traditional games, the group dug into the generous supply of cold sandwiches, kara-age, potato salad, onigiri, tamagoyaki, and morokyu that Futaka-san had packed for their lunch. Futaka-san was one of the Hyuuga family cooks and in the ten summers that Mikan had known her, she'd never once tasted anything made by the middle-aged woman that wasn't absolutely delicious. The motherly chef had even packed a large jug of chilled mugicha to wash the meal down.

Once everyone was satisfied and the meal had been put away, Mikan's friends volunteered to help the two temple keepers finish the clean up. With a firm order from Natsume to "keep your damn feet on the ground," Mikan helped Hotaru and Aoi pick up trash and sweep while Natsume finished taking the rest of the flags down from the roof. Under Sakura-ojii-san's supervision, Natsume and Ruka carried the many boxes of decorations and supplies to the large storage room at the back of the temple. The girls made quick work of cleaning the tatami mats and returning them to one of the closets off of the worship hall before tackling the unpleasant task of cleaning the bathrooms, which had seen quite a bit of traffic during the festival. After the boys finished taking out the trash and returning the extra trash cans to their place in the shed next to the temple garden, Sakura-ojii-san declared that the only work left to be done was cleaning the sacred altar, which he would do himself.

"Jii-chan, is it still okay for me to spend the night at their house?" Mikan asked. She'd gotten permission from him the night before while shutting down the festival and there had been many nights that she or one of her friends' mothers had called him from the vacation house for last minute permission for her to spend the night when they'd stayed up too late or she'd accidentally fallen asleep, but Mikan never wanted to take it for granted that her grandfather would always say yes. More importantly, she didn't want to leave him alone if he felt like he needed her at home to help him with something. He was her only living family and she loved him dearly.

Sakura-ojii-san chuckled good-naturedly. "Don't worry, dear one. This old man will be hitting the hay early tonight. Go have fun with your friends while you're still young and blessed with unbridled stamina."

It only took a minute for Mikan to grab what she needed for the sleepover. She always kept spare clothes, including pajamas, and an extra toothbrush at the vacation house, so all she really needed was her swim suit. After changing out of her hot sneakers and into a cooler pair of sandals, she dashed back outside with her lemon colored wet sack hanging down her back as she wore the drawstrings like backpack straps. After Mikan placed a quick kiss on her grandfather's cheek, the gang set off for the vacation house. Ruka and Natsume each carried a nearly empty picnic basket, having given any leftover food to Sakura-ojii-san and only packing the non-disposable dishes to take home.

As they walked, Mikan thanked her friends for all of their help cleaning up the temple. "I was sure I wouldn't be able to come over until later tonight, but thanks to you all, it's not even dinner time yet." While she talked, she undid her messy bun, flipping her head over and shaking her hair out before whipping her head upright again.

"We would have come over to help earlier, but we slept in pretty late," Ruka explained apologetically. Mikan knew better than to completely believe him. It was more likely that Hotaru had slept in extra late and the others had only slept in for a little while the way Mikan had. Hotaru was notoriously not a morning person, especially after late nights. According to Aoi, Hotaru did an excellent job of disguising this character flaw at school, but at home, the Ice Queen could be quite grumpy in the mornings and slept in on weekends. Mikan bit her tongue to keep from giggling when she thought about how cute it was for Ruka to cover for his girlfriend that way. _Prince Charming, indeed,_ she thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, Natsume was checking out Mikan's hair. Since it had still been damp when she'd put it in a bun that morning, the normally wavy locks had formed loose, wild curls that spilled over her shoulders and down her back now that she'd let it loose. Natsume would have cut off his tongue before admitting it, but he found the windswept look on Mikan to be rather enticing. Returning his gaze to the path ahead, Natsume adamantly ignored the tightening sensation in the pit of his stomach.

As soon as they reached the vacation house, Aoi suggested going for a swim to cool off since they were all sweaty and dirty from working outside. After changing into their swim suits and asking Honzo-san to inform their mothers that they would be out front swimming by the beach, the teens made their way down to the coastline. Since the mansion's private beach stretched for quite a ways in both directions, they had a wide area in which to swim. They were always careful not to swim farther out than the buoys where they could be hit by passing boats, although there were never very many since Makikawa wasn't a tourist town; some of the locals went pleasure sailing, but the majority of the town's watercraft were fishing vessels that sailed much farther out to sea. Swimming in the waves was an entirely different experience than swimming in the pool; it took more energy to control themselves in moving water, so they never lasted as long swimming in the ocean as they did in the pool. After only about an hour, the group headed back to the house to bathe and dress for dinner.

In keeping with their summer sleepover tradition, they all wore pajamas down to dinner that night before retreating to the mansion's home theater. The friends had spent many nights and some particularly hot or stormy days in this room. A state of the art projector screen was centered on the front wall facing an array of brown leather recliners and couches. Along the room's right side were stacks of beanbag chairs and large, cushy pillows. A tall cabinet in the corner held at least a dozen cozy blankets. A well-stocked snack bar with a few bar stools ran along the back wall from the door to the room's left corner, most of the electronics concealed in a lower cabinet behind it. The left wall was broken up by two tall windows covered by remote controlled blackout shades that could be lowered or raised as needed. Built-in shelves along the bottom of this wall held hundreds of DVDs, although there had been fewer and fewer added to the collection in recent years with the advent of digital media services, such as Amazon Prime, replacing the need for physical DVDs in many cases. All around the room were well-disguised speakers mounted in the walls and ceiling, each strategically placed to enhance the effects of a high quality surround sound system. Unsurprisingly, every piece of technology in the room came from Imai Tech.

Watching a movie or show in the air-conditioned home theater was a great way to take a break between tiring outdoor activities, so the group did it often; however, watching movies during sleepovers was extra special. After a casual dinner in their pajamas, the group would head upstairs to the home theater to get comfortable with pillows and blankets with the intention of sleeping there for the night (with the exception of Hotaru, who almost always slipped off to her bedroom so that she could sleep in the next morning undisturbed). After deciding what to watch, they would play multiple movies back to back late into the night, sometimes doing a marathon of movies with sequels or an anime series. Many of their favorite snacks and beverages were kept stocked in the home theater's snack bar, but occasionally the group would request that something special be sent up from the kitchen, such as chicken wings or pizza.

To help decide what to watch, the group would take turns naming a random category (such as a particular genre, movies starring a certain actor or actress, movies containing certain classic movie tropes, or other unique characteristics) and everyone would choose a film from that category. The group would then vote on which ones to watch and in what order. As it happened, tonight was Natsume's turn to pick a category.

"HORROR?!" Mikan screeched, gaping at the teenage boy who stared back at her with a bland expression.

Aoi laughed. "That's mean, Onii-chan. After all of Mikan-nee's hard work over the past week, you expect her to be able to relax in front of horror movies?" It was no secret that Mikan was terrified of anything involving the occult, such as ghosts, demonic entities, and supernatural monsters. She could handle scary movies based on other fear-inducing sources, such as wild animals, evil people, or natural disasters, but paranormal horror was the one subgenre that she just couldn't stand.

"I'm going easy on her," Natsume deadpanned. "I chose 'horror,' not 'horror specifically containing things that terrify the baka,' although there's still time for me to change my mind."

"Nope, I'm good!" Mikan yelped as she dashed over to the shelves filled with DVDs. Ruka joined her while Hotaru and Aoi opted to search their phones for digital movies. Natsume already had his film in mind. Once everyone had made their selections, Hotaru used a special app on her phone that wirelessly controlled the projector screen to put the titles up for everyone to see.

"Tonight's options are _Jigsaw_ , _The Haunting_ , _Jurassic World_ , the 2013 remake of _Carrie_ , and _Jaws_ ," Hotaru read off.

"I vote for _Jaws_ and _Jurassic World_ ," Mikan immediately called out, clearly hoping to avoid the supernatural horror flicks on the list as well as the latest sequel in the graphically violent _Saw_ series.

Natsume gave Ruka an unimpressed look. "Does _Jurassic World_ even count as horror?"

Ruka looked sheepish, but tried to defend his choice nonetheless. "People getting eaten by giant creatures that have been scientifically engineered into super predators is pretty horrific."

Natsume snorted and rolled his eyes, knowing that his best friend was just trying to make an excuse to go easy on Mikan tonight. "You could have at least gone with the original. _Jurassic Park_ had way more scares in it than _Jurassic World_."

"Yeah, but we've also seen it way more times than _Jurassic World_ ," Ruka pointed out. Since his statement was true, Natsume couldn't refute it.

"I vote for _Carrie_ and _Jaws_!" Aoi chirped.

Mikan looked betrayed. "You chose _Carrie_? Weren't you just saying that I shouldn't have to be scared out of my mind tonight?"

Aoi smiled innocently. "I think you'll like _Carrie_ , Mikan-nee. She's like a good witch who fights off bullies. There isn't anything else supernatural in the movie besides her own powers."

Mikan didn't look thoroughly convinced, but didn't argue since Aoi had also voted for Mikan's movie choice. She knew that Aoi was trying to convince her to see _Carrie_ as a supernatural drama rather than a supernatural horror so that she wouldn't find it scary and she appreciated the attempt. After all, Mikan had managed to watch horror films such as the _Alien_ series by convincing herself that because the aliens didn't have supernatural powers, they were simply animals like the dinosaurs in the _Jurassic Park_ series and the shark in _Jaws_ rather than true supernatural monsters. She could handle the supernatural without horror and horror without the supernatural, but when the two mixed, she was petrified.

"Why don't we start with _Jigsaw_ since Hyuuga chose the topic tonight, then _Jaws_ since Mikan needs to recover from her week?" Hotaru suggested. Even after all these years, Hotaru and Natsume almost never called each other by their given names, although neither of them expected the other to use honorifics.

After a short debate, the group decided to go with Hotaru's suggestion of watching Natsume's choice, _Jigsaw_ , first, followed by Mikan's pick, _Jaws_. After that, they would watch _Carrie_ , _Jurassic World_ , and _The Haunting_ , although it was unlikely that any of them would still be awake to watch Hotaru's desired movie, which she didn't seem to mind.

After finding _Jigsaw_ on Amazon Prime, Ruka went to the settings menu to set the film to English audio with Japanese subtitles. Their very first summer in Makikawa, the group had learned that Mikan was terrible at English. To help her learn the language, they always watched American, British, and Australian films with the original audio and Japanese subtitles. Eventually, Mikan had also started listening to a lot of English music. As a result, English was one of the few subjects in school that Mikan consistently received high grades in each year.

As Ruka prepared the movie, the group settled into their seats. Aoi made a nest of sorts out of blankets and pillows on the floor. Hotaru settled herself in a reclining loveseat next to Ruka with a soft blanket draped over her legs. Mikan and Natsume ended up on a couch where Mikan wrapped herself in a blanket and Natsume lounged with an oversized cushion under his elbow.

As the film progressed, the friends' various movie-watching styles came out. Hotaru watched the story unfold calmly, occasionally raising an eyebrow when something interested her or snorting softly when something seemed highly improbable. Although Ruka was mostly silent, his face gave away his thoughts as he cringed, smiled, and widened his eyes in reaction to the events on the screen. Aoi, being the youngest of the group and not always able to stomach the mature elements in some of their movie selections, opted to put in her ear buds and play on her tablet in her nest of blankets and pillows until the next film. Mikan was always highly animated, gasping and clutching her blanket around her or covering her face with her hands when she was scared, cheering when characters achieved their goals, and sighing with relief when they escaped danger. _Jigsaw_ proved to be especially intense for her at times, so much so that she ended up shifting closer and closer to Natsume until she was clinging to his sleeveless pajama top and burying her face between his arm and the couch back until each torturous death trap scene ended. Natsume, for his part, only smirked occasionally, although it was anyone's guess whether his amusement came from the movie or from Mikan's fearful reactions.

Before starting _Jaws_ , the group grabbed drinks and snacks from the snack bar and used the restroom next to the home theater. Without thinking, Mikan sat back down next to Natsume where she had been at the end of _Jigsaw_ rather than returning to her original position at the other end of the couch. Natsume made no comment, despite being vividly aware of her close proximity. The two had been physically close to each other plenty over the years, but puberty had done its work in recent summers, changing the way the two teenagers felt when their bodies were so close.

 _Jaws_ was easily Mikan's favorite horror movie ever since she first saw it when they were ten. The setting reminded her of the beaches of Makikawa and the sharks that occasionally showed up offshore. Hotaru thought it was completely illogical for Mikan to like a movie that should make her terrified of her own backyard, but it was precisely because Mikan was so familiar with the realities of living by an oceanfront beach (how rare shark attacks really were, what seasons and times of day sharks were active, and how to stay safe swimming in the ocean) that made _Jaws_ fascinating rather than scary for her.

As the comfort of enjoying a familiar movie came over her, Mikan curled her legs up on the couch and leaned over to slouch against Natsume's shoulder. About halfway through the movie, Natsume shifted to get more comfortable, stretching his arm across the top of the couch and angling himself slightly so that Mikan was resting against his torso. Ever self-aware, Natsume noticed the faint pang of disappointment when Mikan sat up and moved away, followed by the quickening of his pulse when she simply retrieved her blanket and slid back into place against him, snuggling down comfortably with the blanket pulled up over her shoulders.

When _Jaws_ finally ended and Hotaru clicked the remote to switch to _Carrie_ , Mikan stretched with a jaw-cracking yawn. Her late night and the hard work she had put into the festival and its cleanup were catching up with her. She began to wonder if she'd be able to stay awake until the end of _Carrie_ or if she'd fall asleep partway through.

Sensing her tiredness, Natsume considered his options. Assuming that she was going to fall asleep soon, one of them would eventually have to move. Alternatively, they could lay down together right here on the couch. He found the idea very tempting. He was enjoying her closeness and his hot blooded teenage mind wondered what snuggling that closely with her would be like, but he was also wary of being so openly comfortable and affectionate with her. He hadn't completely decided what type of relationship he intended to pursue with her. Holding her hand at the festival had been a significant progression for them and sharing a couch for the night would be an even bigger step down a path he wasn't yet confident that he should take. Teasing her was one thing, but his mother had always cautioned him to remember that once you cross a line, it's very difficult to go back and very easy to be tempted forward, and in their family's position, he needed to maintain a respectable reputation (though he figured that was less of a concern here in Makikawa than it was back home in Tokyo).

After a minute of indecision, Natsume's desires won out over his mental uncertainty. Sliding down so that his head was now resting on the cushion that had been supporting his elbow, Natsume swung his legs up onto the couch and yanked Mikan's blanket so that it was covering both of them, his other arm coming to rest around her shoulders. This put Mikan in the position of lying next to him with her head on his chest and her legs stretched out between his and the back of the couch. Unsure if she would accept this new position, Natsume stared hard at the projector screen, refusing to satisfy his curiosity by looking at Mikan's face.

Mikan felt her cheeks warm and her heartbeat quicken. She hadn't really been thinking during the first movie when she'd slid over by Natsume in fear. He'd often called her a crybaby in the past for clinging to him or Ruka or Hotaru when she was scared. When she'd realized that she'd absentmindedly slouched against him for the second film, she'd questioned if she should move. Since she'd been comfortable and Natsume hadn't objected (which he definitely would have if he'd minded), she'd decided to stay put. When Natsume had shifted so that she was leaning against him even more, the action had made her smile, so she'd grabbed her blanket and felt free to settle in with him. This latest change of position though seemed like a much bigger deal to her.

Mikan had very little practical experience being intimate with boys and she tended to think somewhat conservatively having been raised alone by her grandfather most of her life. For these reasons, the simple act of lying against Natsume's chest sent a thrill down her spine. Even Mikan, naïve though she could be at times, recognized that this was completely different from when their whole group had flopped down together when they were younger and gender didn't matter as much. Was this okay for her to do at the age of 14 with a guy who wasn't even her boyfriend?

She couldn't deny that she liked the way she felt— a little bit excited, a little bit nervous, but mostly warm and happy. What about Natsume? She'd called him a pervert on occasion when he'd deserved it (in her opinion), but his actions were different on those occasions. He wasn't the type to openly demonstrate affection the way he was now or when he'd held her hand during the festival. At least, he hadn't been before. Was this something that had changed about him during his most recent nine months away for school? Or was this side of him new even to him?

No matter how obnoxious, arrogant, or rude he could be at times, and despite the way that he could rile her up by teasing her and arguing with her, Mikan trusted Natsume from the bottom of her heart, as she had demonstrated during their "trust fall" that afternoon. Over the years, she'd seen countless examples of his loyalty, his protectiveness toward his family and friends, and even the occasional act of selflessness. Like her, he was stubborn and had a strong sense of justice. While Mikan was happy to make friends with anyone, Natsume didn't feel the need to bother and preferred to keep to his close circle of friends, both in Makikawa and Tokyo. The only people he let his guard down with—the ones he let get truly close to him—were the few he trusted and wanted to have around.

Knowing these things about Natsume made Mikan confident that his recent actions came from sincere feelings rather than inappropriate motives. That thought made Mikan feel special and she smiled softly. Content to enjoy the moment, she snuggled down more comfortably against Natsume's chest, moving her hand up to clutch a bit of his pajama top near her chin. Natsume's closeness put her at ease and she felt her eyes begin to droop as the warmth of his body and their shared blanket enveloped her.

Natsume felt her relax against him and his own bit of tension dissolved. He'd never been this intimate with a girl before. Honestly, there were very few girls to whom Natsume would even give the time of day. He had no intention or desire to fool around with someone he didn't care about and he'd never been insecure enough to worry that he might not find someone worth caring for that way. Now, as his heart warmed at her trust and closeness, and his fingers tingled with the desire to pull her even closer and run his hands over her skin, he couldn't deny that Mikan was special to him. Closing his eyes, Natsume took a deep breath as he savored his feelings in the dim light of the projector screen.

His eyes opened when he both heard and felt Mikan sigh gently. Looking down at her, Natsume was surprised to see that she had already fallen asleep. He glanced at Ruka and Hotaru on their loveseat. Both of them were watching the movie and didn't seem to be paying any attention to him and Mikan. A glance down at Aoi on the floor showed that she, too, seemed absorbed in the film.

Turning away from the screen, Natsume rested his head against the cushion and wrapped his free arm around Mikan's back. Closing his eyes once again, Natsume let his mind drift slowly from thought to thought until at last he, too, fell into a peaceful slumber with Mikan by his side.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Before anyone points it out, I will readily admit that _Jigsaw_ did not come out until 2017 and this chapter takes place in 2016. I had already written that part when I decided to shift the timeline back a year and after searching for an alternative horror film, I decided to stick with _Jigsaw_ and use the power of fiction to change its release date. :)

I would love and appreciate feedback on each new chapter from anyone willing to leave a review. As this is the first fanfiction that I've ever posted, I would especially benefit from examples of what things you love and what things you find disappointing or don't make sense. While I'm writing this story first and foremost for the fun of it, I'm also looking at it as a writing exercise and hope to improve my skills throughout the process.

I'd like to take a moment to discuss Natsume and Mikan's physical relationship. They're only 14 now, but will be 17 by the end of the story and I want to maintain a realistic progression while also reflecting the manga and indulging in the doki-doki interactions that fans love (myself included). In the manga, between the ages of 10 and 12, they had slept together and kissed, Natsume had stolen her underwear _while she was wearing it_ , pulled open her shirt front to look at her chest, groped her breasts multiple times, and flipped her skirt up to see her underwear repeatedly. However, the Natsume in my story still has both of his parents around and hasn't been abused by the academy, so I feel the need to tone down his perversion to match that environment (not to mention that he'd get arrested in real life for doing half of those things to her). Since my story takes place in a setting where they are older (for perspective, Tsubasa and Misaki were 14 at the start of the manga), I'm trying very hard to create a balance between the natural awakening of romantic desires / sexual curiosity that young teenagers experience and the boundaries that their characters would have based on their respective upbringings in _This Is High School_ (namely Mikan being raised by her conservative grandfather and Natsume growing up under the pressure of high society expectations with both parents to guide him) without losing their personalities. _**Please share any thoughts on how I handle this area of the plot as I feel that it is a delicate matter that could make or break your enjoyment of the story.**_

Thank you so much!


	4. So Close And Yet So Far

**Author's Note:** Short chapter this week, guys. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: So Close And Yet So Far

Nature was calling, but Mikan was so warm and comfortable that she didn't want to answer. She sighed and smelled something pleasant, but out of place. Boy's deodorant, maybe? Whatever it was, it was nice and Mikan was still tired, so she chose to ignore it. After a few minutes though, nature's call had become too demanding to ignore any longer, so Mikan slowly blinked her eyes open. The sight that greeted her was strange. Red slashes like the claw marks of some wild beast stood out against a black background. After a moment, the fog of sleep cleared from her mind and she recognized the front of Natsume's pajama shirt.

An upward glance confirmed that she was indeed lying beside Natsume on the couch in the home theater. Thankfully, she remembered going to sleep that way the night before and therefore didn't freak out. Although she was surprised to find that Natsume had actually fallen asleep with her and that they had remained that way all night, she found that it didn't bother her in the slightest. After all, she'd slept really well and felt incredibly cozy. Besides, his sleeping face was just too cute. She scrunched up her nose as she smiled, knowing that Natsume would likely hit her with the pillow if she ever said that out loud.

Remembering that she needed to relieve herself, Mikan quietly lifted herself from between Natsume's sleeping form and the back of the couch, cautiously stepping over him and onto the floor. Sunlight from the windows made it easy for Mikan to see as she made her way around the couch towards the door at the back of the room. She noticed Ruka asleep on the reclining loveseat and a bundle of blankets and pillows on the floor in which Aoi must have buried herself. There was no sign of Hotaru, so she must have slept in her own room.

After using the restroom across the hall, Mikan returned to the home theater to find that Natsume had rolled over so that his back was now resting against the back of the couch, but he still appeared to be asleep. She hesitated for only a moment before thinking, _Whatever. We slept together all night. What difference will another hour make?_ Flipping back the blanket, Mikan crawled right back onto the couch with her back to Natsume before flipping the blanket over her legs and snuggling the side of her face into the cushion. Almost immediately, Natsume's arms snaked their way around her, holding her close like a teddy bear. _Isn't this called "spooning"?_ Mikan thought, curious if Natsume had moved in his sleep or if he was really awake. Deciding that it didn't really matter one way or the other, she let her mind go comfortably blank as she sought a bit more rest.

Natsume smirked from his position behind her. He had, in fact, woken up when she had, but he'd chosen to feign sleep while he waited to see what she would do. He'd been pleased when she hadn't shrieked or even tensed upon discovering that they'd ended up sleeping together all night, but had also been unsurprised when she'd gotten up to leave. After stretching and rolling over, he'd laid there quietly thinking of how pleasant the experience of sleeping with her had been and trying to ignore the feeling that he would have liked to have held her longer while being awake to enjoy it.

When he'd heard the door to the home theater unexpectedly reopen, he'd instinctively feigned sleep again. He'd nearly lost it when (to his great surprise and more than a small bit of delight) Mikan had laid back down with him. No longer struggling with questions and doubts as he had the night before (after all, what would be the point after having already slept with her all night?), he took full advantage of the opportunity and quickly wrapped his arms around her, feeling like a cat who'd caught a mouse.

The two friends remained that way for almost an hour before Mikan stirred once again. Yawning, she carefully stretched, trying not to elbow Natsume in the face as she rolled over so that she was facing him. She blinked when she saw that he was also awake. The two stared silently at each other for a moment, their faces only inches apart, before Mikan whispered, "I'm hungry."

Natsume snorted. "Of course you are." Releasing a small yawn himself, he admitted, "But I am, too, so let's get breakfast." Mikan smiled, standing up and stretching again now that she had more space to move. Tossing the blanket into a heap at the end of the couch, Natsume followed Mikan quietly across the room and out the door so as not to disturb Aoi and Ruka, who were still asleep.

As they walked down the hallway heading for the nearest staircase, Natsume glimpsed a shadow on Mikan's left arm. He halted at once, his hand snatching her wrist to pull her arm closer for a better look. Mikan looked at him questioningly, noticing his frown and furrowed brow. Wondering what was wrong, she shifted her gaze down to her arm and gasped.

"Wow, so it bruised after all," she observed, reaching with her right hand to gingerly rub her fingers over the patch of purple and blue mottled skin where her arm had hit the roof yesterday during her fall. It wasn't the worst bruise she'd ever gotten and it only hurt if she pressed on it too hard, so she wasn't worried about it.

Natsume sighed. Dropping her arm, he told her with a mix of exasperation and resignation in his voice, "You're going to get yourself killed someday, you know."

She grinned. "Just keep catching me and I'll be fine."

Natsume rolled his eyes and resumed walking towards the staircase.

The two teenagers silently made their way down three flights of stairs on their way to the kitchen on the ground floor. When they reached the spacious kitchen filled with robin's egg blue cabinets and glistening white granite countertops, they found it completely empty. Knowing that Futaka-san and the other household staff wouldn't mind them fending for themselves, Mikan poked through the fridge while Natsume pulled two glasses from a nearby cabinet and filled them with water. Her arms laden with food, Mikan used her shoulder to bump the fridge door shut before making her way over to the kitchen's massive stove.

Mikan set her ingredients on the countertop before selecting several spices from the wall-mounted spice rack and pulling a sharp knife from the woodblock. She found a cutting board in a lower cabinet before glancing at the many pots and pans hanging from hooks on a metal grate suspended above one end of the kitchen's massive island. Spotting one that would suit her needs, she stretched her arm out as high as she could, even lifting herself up on her tiptoes, but found that she just couldn't reach it.

She looked over at Natsume who was slouching against a countertop and watching her with amusement over the rim of his glass as he drank. She raised an eyebrow at him and plunked her hands on her hips. Rolling his eyes, Natsume set down his glass of water and sauntered over to her, easily lifting the pan she'd been reaching for from its hook and handing it to her. Mikan smiled as she returned to the stove.

Natsume hopped up on the island behind her to watch as she turned on a burner and placed several slices of bacon in the pan. While the bacon was frying, she diced up some onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and broccoli, all of which looked like leftover scraps based on their small quantities and randomly cut pieces. Removing the cooked bacon to a paper towel covered plate, Mikan drained the grease from the pan into a small tin, but left about a tablespoon. She added a tablespoon of butter and melted it in with the grease for a few seconds before adding the diced vegetables and some fresh garlic. While she fried the vegetables, she handed Natsume a piece of bacon which he smugly accepted with his teeth, earning an eye-roll from Mikan. Once her back was turned, he allowed himself to openly smile as he chewed the delicious strip of meat. Natsume loved bacon and Mikan knew it all too well.

After dumping the fried vegetables into a bowl, Mikan cracked three eggs into a glass measuring cup and whisked them together with a couple tablespoons of milk to make them fluffier. After adding a bit of butter and bacon grease to the empty pan, she poured the golden liquid onto the hot surface. A minute later, she sprinkled the eggs with some salt, pepper, and cayenne, then placed several strips of bacon and a little more than half the vegetables on one side of the round layer of eggs. After sprinkling the partially cooked omelet with some shredded cheese, Mikan carefully slid a spatula under one edge and flipped the circle in half, enclosing the filling. Natsume retrieved two plates and two forks from across the kitchen, which he set down on the clear side of the counter next to the stove away from Mikan's cooking mess.

After another 30 seconds of cooking on each side and finishing it off with a topping of more shredded cheese, Mikan slid the completed omelet onto one of the plates and handed it to Natsume, who had returned to his seat on the island. As Mikan repeated the process for her own omelet, Natsume savored the warm dish.

The omelet was delicious and not simply because Mikan was a good home cook; she'd made it the way he liked it. He could taste the spicy cayenne pepper and noted that she was substituting the much milder spice paprika as she cooked her own. His eggs were also soft almost to the point of being runny, just the way he liked them, despite Mikan's preference for eggs to be solid all the way through. Natsume's keen observation skills even noticed that Mikan had given him more than his fair share of the bacon even without including the slice that she'd already given him to eat while she cooked.

After sliding her breakfast onto her plate, Mikan turned off the burner and joined Natsume at the island. Choosing to stand next to him and use the countertop as a table, she leaned her elbows on its glossy surface as she dug into her gooey, steaming creation. She smiled with delight as she ate, squealing in the back of her throat at the first delicious bite. Natsume set his plate aside when he'd finished and continued to watch her.

Her attitude was casual. Her lime green pajamas were simple and comfortable. Her long caramel hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back, spun through with ribbons of gold and honey. As Natsume observed everything about her as she stood in the middle of his quiet, sunlit kitchen, he couldn't help thinking that she just seemed to fit, not just here in his kitchen, but in his life. He wondered why the thought made his heart swell and ache at the same time.

She knew him. She really, truly knew him, and more than that, she was kind and considerate enough to cater to his preferences. She _cared_ enough. She hadn't even bothered asking if he wanted her to make an omelet for him or even to make breakfast for him at all. She'd simply done it the same way that she'd cooked his omelet perfectly to his liking, the same way that she'd made it bigger than hers to satisfy his larger appetite, and the same way that she'd made an extra slice of bacon for him to eat while he waited. She'd just known and so she'd just done it, completely naturally without giving it a second thought, not because it benefitted her, but because it would make him happy and that was enough for her.

That's when Natsume understood. His heart swelled because she was here with him right now and she just fit; his heart ached because when he was back home in Tokyo, she wasn't there and she should be.

The moment the thought went through his mind, Natsume looked away, picked up his water glass, and drained in. That was the real problem, wasn't it? Even if he did like Mikan as more than just a friend, even if he wanted to give in to Ruka's prodding and ask her out, even if she happened to feel the same way he did, none of it mattered. Once August rolled back around, they'd be separated again and Natsume hated the idea of trying to maintain a long-distance relationship, for both of their sakes. Even if they managed it, one of them would eventually have to move if they were going to be together permanently. That definitely wasn't possible for him since he was going to inherit his father's company, which he'd have to run from Tokyo, and Mikan… Well, Makikawa was her home and his world in Tokyo was so drastically different from hers.

Natsume snapped out of his thoughts when Mikan walked past him, grabbed his plate and fork from the countertop next to him, and placed them in the sink with her own dirty dishes. As Natsume stood to help her clean up, he shoved his gloomy thoughts aside. He couldn't date Sakura Mikan even if he wanted to, but he could enjoy her company while they were together, even if it would only ever be one summer at a time.

Mikan handed him a soapy cloth to wipe down the counters with while she started on the dishes. The two of them had just finished cleaning up when the kitchen door swung open.

"Well, good morning, early birds!" Kaoru-san greeted brightly. "Either of you catch any worms yet this morning?"

"We just ate," Mikan answered with a smile, assuming that Kaoru-san was referring to breakfast. "We haven't seen anyone yet, so we helped ourselves."

Kaoru-san spoke over her shoulder as she opened the fridge to pull out a carton of grapefruit juice. "Futaka-san was planning on going to the fish market early this morning and sent her helpers on other errands, so everyone gets free choice this morning." Natsume got his mother a glass and handed it to her before moving to lean casually against the countertop next to Mikan.

"So," Kaoru-san smiled broadly as she poured herself some juice, "would you two like to go to Owase tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Mikan squealed excitedly, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the small city to the north. At least once per summer, Kaoru-san and Saki-san took them all on a day trip to Owase to have some fun on the town. It was nothing compared to Tokyo (as Hotaru had repeatedly pointed out to her), but it was a rare chance to get out of Makikawa and try something new.

Natsume's mother grinned. "Okay, I'll make the arrangements. Let's plan to leave at 9:30 so that Hotaru-chan doesn't have to get up too early." Looking at Natsume mischievously, Kaoru-san asked him, "Would you like to drive?"

Natsume grinned and answered, "Heck, yes."

"Drive?" Mikan asked, clearly confused. She frowned at Natsume. "You can't drive a car."

Natsume smirked at her smugly. "No, I can't, but I can drive a boat. I got my Class 2 boating license when I turned 14. I can go up to 5 nautical miles from the shore with a Class 1 or 2 licensed adult on board. Okaa-san has a Class 1 license. I can go solo once I'm 16."

Mikan couldn't help grinning at this piece of news. "I don't know whether I'm happy for you or frightened for the rest of us," she teased.

Kaoru-san laughed. "Judge him after you see how he handles the boat tomorrow. He's actually quite good. Better than his father was at his age, I can tell you that."

Mikan giggled, thinking of the kind-hearted Hatsuharu-san, who hadn't come to Makikawa for a visit yet this summer. Thinking of him reminded her of her grandfather, which in turn filled Mikan's head with thoughts of her home at the temple.

"If we're going to be gone all day tomorrow, I need to get home so that I can catch up on chores. We've been so busy with the festival that the laundry has piled up and we need groceries, too," Mikan explained. Natsume twitched, displeased that she was leaving so soon and for what sounded like the rest of the day.

"Okay. I'll explain to the others why you left before they got up. We'll see you here in the morning," Kaoru-san promised.

"Thanks!" Mikan chirped as she turned to leave.

"I'm going to work out," Natsume told his mother as he followed Mikan out the kitchen door.

The two walked upstairs together until they reached the hallway that lead to Natsume and Ruka's bedrooms in one direction and Aoi and Hotaru's bedrooms in the other. They both needed to change clothes so that Mikan could head home and Natsume could go back downstairs to the home gym to work out.

"See you tomorrow!" she told him with a smile, waving briefly before bouncing towards her guestroom at the girls' end of the hall.

Just before she slipped inside her room, Natsume called out to her, "Hey, Polka Dots." Mikan leaned back out of her doorway to look at him. "Thanks for breakfast."

She beamed. "Anytime!"

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 **Author's Note:** Huge shout out to everyone who's left a review for this story so far! It really does mean a lot to me to hear from you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!


	5. Lulls Between The Waves

Chapter 5: Lulls Between The Waves

Mikan looked at her list again before turning away from the assortment of fresh vegetables. She still needed to grab a few apples before she'd be ready to pay and head down the street to get eggs and milk from the Watanabe farm stand. All that would be left after that was the fresh meat and fish, which she always picked up last so that she could take them straight home and put them in the fridge.

After selecting her apples and paying for her groceries, Mikan zipped up her cushioned, insulated shopping tote and hefted it onto her shoulder. Shopping for food was Mikan's favorite chore, even more than actually cooking it. She loved all the bright colors and enticing smells. Being a friendly, outgoing person by nature, she also enjoyed socializing with the shopkeepers as she made her way through the marketplace. Even now, almost a decade after their passing, Mikan could still remember coming here with her parents. Her father, Izumi, would hoist her up on his shoulders and carry her down the street with a big grin plastered across his face. Her mother, Yuka, would hand her a snack while they shopped, laughing and brushing crumbs out of Izumi's hair when Mikan made a mess. It was one of Mikan's most vivid memories of her parents and it made her smile easily as she pranced down the street.

When she spotted the Watanabe's dairy stall, a pretty girl with short blond hair and emerald green eyes waved to her from behind the wooden counter. "Good morning, Mikan-chan!"

"Good morning, Ayaka-chan!" Mikan replied happily as she skipped up to the counter and set down her shopping bag. Watanabe Ayaka was one of Mikan's classmates. They'd seen each other briefly during the Summer Solstice Festival before Mikan had gone to eat dinner with Natsume. "Are you by yourself today?"

Ayaka smiled. "Yep! Beats working at the farm. Look what those chickens did to me when I helped collect their eggs yesterday." She held out her arms so that Mikan could see the scattered scratches and peck marks that marred her fair skin.

Mikan winced. "Ouch!"

Ayaka laughed. "It was more annoying than painful. We take such good care of those silly birds, but they're so ornery. Anyway, what can I get for you today?"

Pulling out her list, Mikan rattled off, "I need half a gallon of milk and two dozen eggs, please."

"Eh? No butter today?" Ayaka asked as she turned away.

"Nope. When I checked this morning, we still had plenty to get by for awhile," Mikan replied. Pulling her wallet out of her pocket, Mikan placed a bill in the tray next to the register. As Ayaka placed two cartons of eggs on the counter, Mikan opened her shopping tote and pulled out two empty glass bottles and set them on the counter.

"Thank you," Ayaka said as she took the empty bottles and placed them off to the side in a crate filled with similar bottles. Moving to another part of her family's stall, she grabbed two quarter gallon bottles filled with milk and set them on the counter next to the eggs. She punched a few buttons on the register before saying, "Two dozen eggs and a half gallon of milk with your ¥20 credit for each returned bottle comes to ¥492 after tax." Picking up the ¥500 bill that Mikan had placed in the cash tray, Ayaka opened the register, inserted the bill, and pulled out ¥8 in coins. As she handed Mikan the change and receipt, her eyes widened. "Goodness! What kind of giant chicken did that to _your_ arm?"

Mikan laughed. Holding up her left arm for Ayaka to see better, she explained, "I tripped and fell while cleaning up the temple yesterday. The bruise looks bad, but it really doesn't hurt much if I don't touch it."

Ayaka smiled. "Well, aren't we a pair? All for the call of duty, I suppose."

Mikan grinned. After placing her change and receipt in her wallet and returning it to her pocket, she carefully rearranged the groceries in her shopping tote so that the bottles of milk could sit off to one side on the bottom and the eggs could rest on top of her earlier purchases without getting crushed. After pulling the zipper closed, she slipped the bag's straps over her shoulder and said, "Thanks, Ayaka-chan! See you next week!"

With a small bow, the blond replied, "Thank you for your patronage."

Mikan waved over her shoulder as she hurried away. Thinking out loud, she rattled off, "I still need chicken, pork cutlets, and fish. The washer should be done by the time I get home, so I can hang the laundry out to dry after putting away the groceries. Jii-chan was cleaning the floors when I left, so as long as I get the bathrooms cleaned, all that should be left is doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after dinner… Oh! And I'll need to make sure that Jii-chan has food for tomorrow while I'm in Owase." Smiling broadly in satisfaction, Mikan continued briskly towards one of the butcher shops.

After purchasing the chicken and pork cutlets, Mikan headed to the docks where the local fishermen sold their daily catch. Spotting the booth she was looking for, Mikan skipped up to the counter where a boy wearing a white apron and think rubber gloves had his back to her as he worked on gutting a fish on the booth's back counter. "Good morning, Shinji-kun!"

Startled, Akawa Shinji spun around to face her. "Mi-Mikan-chan!" he stuttered, wide eyed. Quickly setting his knife down by the partially gutted fish, he took off his gloves and stepped up to the counter to face her. "Good morning," he greeted with a nervous, but pleased smile. Mikan smiled back, oblivious of her effect on the teenage boy before her.

"Can I get some ayu, please?" she asked pleasantly, referring to the small freshwater fish from the salmon family that she planned to serve with breakfast that week. Ayu were plentiful in the summertime and were locally fished from the Honshu River that ran through Makikawa. The Akawas were one of several families of fishermen that fished both the river and the ocean, so Mikan was able to get her freshwater and saltwater fish at the same time by choosing their booth over the neighboring ones.

"Sure!" Shinji replied quickly. As he moved around the booth preparing her order, he tried his best to make conversation with his crush. "How have you been since the festival?"

"Great! Really tired, but we got everything cleaned up yesterday, so that's good," Mikan answered cheerfully. Since she was looking at several fish hanging from their tails at the side of the stall, she didn't notice Shinji subtly checking her out as he wrapped her ayu first in white paper, then again in a thicker brown paper. There wasn't anything special about the bright yellow tank top and white shorts that she'd put on that morning, but just seeing her in something other than their school uniform made Shinji's heart race. He could still remember the first day of middle school when she'd shown up without her signature pigtails. He much preferred her long hair left down and kept out of her face with the simple white ribbon that she always used, just like it was now. His heart tightened at the sight of an ugly bruise on her left arm. He wondered how she'd gotten it, but didn't want to ask in case it would embarrass her.

"That must have been a big job. The temple looked great!" he complimented.

"Thanks!" Mikan replied, turning to offer him a bright smile that made the boy's heart skip a beat.

Setting her package on the counter in front of her, Shinji asked, "Can I get you anything else?"

Mikan hummed thoughtfully. "What kind of kamasu do you have today?"

Shinji grimaced unhappily. "I just sold our last aka-kamasu and my dad said they didn't catch any yamato or oni-kamasu today." Licking his lips, he spoke casually, "My uncle's boat should be back soon though and he radioed that he had a decent haul of ao-kamasu on board. I could run some over to the temple later after he gets back."

Without a second thought, Mikan answered gratefully, "Really? Thanks! That would be great. Three or four pounds should be fine. Here," she pulled out her wallet and placed several bills in the cash tray.

"Perfect," Shinji replied with a broad smile. "I'll bring your change and your receipt when I bring the kamasu over later. You can take the ayu with you now. I'll include it when I ring up the kamasu."

"Awesome! Thanks again, Shinji-kun!" Mikan slipped the package of ayu into her tote, waved, and headed back up the road to make her way home to the temple.

"See you later," Shinji called after her, an excited grin lighting up his face.

When Mikan got home, she made quick work of putting away the groceries. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she decided to go ahead and fix lunch before dealing with the laundry. Deciding to use up the last bits of leftovers from the festival and put off making a fresh meal until dinner that night, she assembled a simple spread of chicken yakitori, meatballs, and fried rice. Deciding that the meal could really use a more significant source of vegetables then just the fried rice, she tossed together a salad from the produce that she'd brought home from the market.

After setting the table and refilling the teapot on the stove, she went searching for her grandfather. She found him outside in the temple's little garden. She called to him from the porch, "Jii-chan! Lunch is ready!"

Looking up at her, Sakura-ojii-san smiled. "Oh, wonderful!" Gesturing to a shallow woven bowl beside him that was filled with green leaves, he told her, "I just finished picking some shiso leaves."

Leaning on the porch rail, Mikan grinned. "Then I'll have to make some onigiri for us this week, won't I?" Salted shiso leaves made a very tasting wrapping for onigiri.

Her grandfather chuckled. His lovely granddaughter certainly knew what he liked.

After lunch, Sakura-ogii-san returned to the garden while Mikan emptied the washer. After starting another load, she carried the basket of wet, clean laundry outside to the rows of clothes lines next to the garden, slipping out of her house slippers and into her garden clogs by the sliding side door as she went. While the left side of the temple's property was primarily for hosting the public, the right side was mostly for the personal use of the caretaker's family. The small garden sat at the front followed by the rows of clothes lines.

Mikan spent a peaceful half-hour hanging up the laundry to dry in the summer sun. Occasionally glimpsing her grandfather at work in the garden nearby filled her with the warm feeling of familial love. Really and truly, she felt very blessed by her life in Makikawa.

When she had finished her task, she called, "Jii-chan! I'm going to clean the bathrooms, okay?"

"Much obliged!" he called back to her as she hopped up the steps to the long wrap-around porch, slid open the door, and stepped inside. After changing out of her garden clogs and back into her house slippers, she headed for her bathroom to put her hair up before setting about the task of cleaning, sanitizing, and restocking the living quarters' bathrooms. Since the bathrooms for public use had just been cleaned the day before, she wouldn't have to worry about them for awhile. Setting her cell phone by the sink, Mikan clicked on a playlist so that she could list to music while she worked. She often sang along, trying to remember the translation in her head when a song came on in English.

By the time she finished cleaning the bathrooms, she was beginning to feel quite tired. Perhaps she had stayed up a little too late and gotten up a little too early after her day of cleaning up from the festival, which of course had followed the very busy day of hosting the festival itself. Sighing, she headed for the kitchen to get a cold drink.

Sakura-ojii-san smiled as she walked into the room. "Making progress, dear one?"

Mikan smiled. "Yep! Once I hang up this last load of laundry, I'm done until dinner time." She reached into the fridge and pulled out a jug of chilled green tea that she'd brewed that morning while making her grocery list.

As she poured herself a glass, her grandfather said, "You're a very hard worker, dear one. I hope you enjoy yourself in Owase tomorrow. Give my regards to Kaoru-san and Saki-san."

"I will," Mikan promised with a smile. After draining her glass, she grabbed the empty laundry basket from its perch on top of the fridge and pulled the laundry out of the washer.

Outside, she was grateful for the breeze that cooled her face as she hung the laundry. Stifling a yawn, she clipped the last garment into place. After hauling herself back up the steps, she dropped the empty basket by the door, kicked off her garden clogs, and plopped down on the edge of the porch, her legs dangling off the side and her arms folded over the middle rail. She rested her chin on her crossed arms and released a deep breath. The warm feeling of the sunshine on her skin perfectly complimented the cool breeze. She reached up to let down her hair, allowing the gentle wind to flutter it about. She could hear the cicadas in the trees, and if she listened closely, she thought she could just barely make out the sound of the bells on the buoys in the harbor.

Mikan couldn't resist the yawn that escaped from deep within her. Swinging her legs up onto the porch, she laid down on her side with an arm tucked beneath her head for a pillow, lazily watching the movement of the plants in the garden and the laundry on the lines from beneath drooping eyelids. As the seconds ticked by, her eyes finally closed as she succumbed to sleep's sweet call amidst the peaceful summer afternoon.

Akawa Shinji was almost skipping as he headed through the tall red torii gate and up toward the temple's living quarters at the front of the main building. Even though Mikan had turned him down after he'd finally confessed to her on their middle school graduation day, his feelings for her hadn't changed. She was still the bright, kind, cheerful girl that he liked and if this lucky, unexpected chance to visit her at home was anything to go by, he wasn't giving up hope that maybe someday she'd change her mind.

After climbing the front steps, he quickly raked his fingers through his sandy brown hair before ringing the doorbell. He gripped the paper package in his hands anxiously as he waited. Just as he reached to ring the doorbell a second time, the door opened.

"May I help you, young man?" Sakura-ojii-san asked kindly, smiling at the teenage boy standing on his front porch.

Shinji stood up straight and spoke respectfully to his elder. "Good afternoon, sir. I've brought the ao-kamasu that Mikan-chan purchased this morning." After handing over the package, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a plain envelope. "Here's her change and the receipt."

"Why, thank you kindly," the old man replied as he accepted the envelope. With a knowing twinkle in his eyes, he said, "I believe my dear granddaughter is working on the laundry around the side there if you'd like to go see her."

Shinji grinned, bowing quickly as he gave the old man his thanks. Hopping down from the porch, he made his way down the small path that wrapped around the temple until the garden came into view. Spotting the laundry hanging from the clothes lines, his eyes searched the area for the object of his affection. His smile faltered as he grew closer without seeing her. Pausing, he turned from left to right, his eyes sweeping across the temple grounds. Disappointment filled him. Mikan must have finished her chore and gone back inside without her grandfather noticing.

Should he go back to the front door and ask to see her? Or would that just be awkward since he'd already delivered the fish to her grandfather? Was it worth the risk just so that he wouldn't waste this chance to see her in the more personal setting of her home? Shinji stood there debating when he suddenly heard the sound of someone sighing behind him. Whirling around, his breath caught in his throat.

There she was, not five feet away from him.

Mikan lay stretched out along the edge of the temple's raised porch, fast asleep. Shinji's surprised tension slowly left him as he studied her peaceful face. He stepped closer uncertainly, unsure if he should wake her up or just leave. He was a considerate boy and didn't want to disturb her, but seeing her like this—so different from school or even their brief interactions around the village— filled him with the lighthearted affection of a teenage crush, tempting him to rouse her from her slumber so that their time together wouldn't be cut short before it had even begun. He had hoped to visit with her for at least a few minutes since the chance to spend time with her outside of school was so rare, and in his heart, he wished that things were different between them.

In the end, his kind, respectful nature won out. As much as he'd been looking forward to talking with Mikan, just seeing her would have to be enough. As he started to turn away, his cerulean blue eyes noticed a flower petal that had gotten caught in her hair near her face. With a gentle smile, he reached out a hand and softly brushed away the stray petal.

"Akawa-san."

Startled, Shinji withdrew his hand as if he'd been burned and spun around towards the low male voice that had spoken his name. Standing on the path that Shinji had taken from the front of the temple was the last person that he expected (or wanted) to see at that moment.

"Hyu-Hyuuga-san," he stuttered, his stomach instantly tightening into a bundle of nerves.

Natsume stood with his hands casually shoved in his pockets, his defined features schooled into a neutral expression. The exact nature of the rich city boy's relationship with Mikan had always been a bit unclear to Shinji. At the very least, he knew that Natsume was much better friends with her than he was and that the two spent a lot of time together in the summers. That alone was enough to make Shinji envious of the handsome teenager. However, if Natsume and Mikan's friendship was strictly platonic, then Shinji felt no need to consider him a rival, and if he wasn't a rival, then he wasn't a threat.

At that moment, Shinji was seriously reconsidering his view of Hyuuga Natsume. Despite the boy's neutral expression, Shinji swore that he saw fire behind his garnet irises. Natsume's unwavering gaze was unnerving, as if he could see right through Shinji and knew every thought and feeling that he'd had towards the cute, sleeping girl.

After a moment of silence, Natsume walked towards him and all Shinji could do was stand there frozen. He could feel each beat of his heart hammering in his chest. Just a few more steps and they'd be face-to-face…

Then Natsume walked right past him. Shinji turned to watch as Natsume walked right up to Mikan's sleeping form, reached out a hand, and promptly flicked her forehead.

"Wake up, baka."

Mikan's eyes squeezed tightly shut as she rolled over onto her back, her hands reaching up to rub her forehead where Natsume had flicked it. She groaned as she stretched, reaching her arms up above her head and arching her back like a cat. Shinji blushed when the movement both lifted her chest and raised the hem of her shirt, revealing a couple inches of her stomach. After a great yawn, Mikan's body went limp as her eyes slowly blinked open, adjusting to the light. She rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up. Looking around blearily, her gaze landed on Natsume directly next to her. She blinked at him, then rubbed her eyes again. Her mind must have still been a bit foggy with sleep because after another small yawn, she asked confusedly, "What…?"

Blandly, Natsume informed her, "You have company." Turning away, he headed for the stairs that lead up to the porch.

With Natsume out of her line of vision, Mikan noticed Shinji for the first time. "Shinji-kun…?" she said thoughtfully, her tone suggesting that she was talking to herself rather than actually addressing him. A second later, recognition dawned across her face. Wide-eyed, she exclaimed, "Shinji-kun! I'm so sorry. You brought my fish, didn't you?" Clearly much more awake now, she grabbed the porch's middle rail with both hands and swung beneath it to the ground in front of him, seemingly taking no notice of her bare feet landing on the gravel pathway.

"Uh… yeah... I gave it to your grandfather, along with your change and the receipt," he answered. He thought he sounded a bit lame, but he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. His eyes darted up to the porch where Natsume had seated himself against the side of the temple. He'd pulled a manga from somewhere and was reading it as if completely ignoring the two of them, though Shinji highly doubted that this was actually the case. His gaze returned to Mikan when she spoke.

"Thank you so much," she said sincerely, giving him a bright smile. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," he replied, returning her friendly smile.

Mikan shaded her eyes and briefly looked around. "How long have I been asleep? Do you know what time it is?"

Ignoring her first question since he didn't know the answer, Shinji pulled a cell phone from his pocket and checked the time. "It's 4:52."

"Goodness! I need to get working on dinner soon. Would you like to join us?" she asked cheerfully.

Shinji couldn't believe his bad luck. Not only had he gotten to see her at her house, she'd also invited him to stay for dinner, both at the exact time that the one person he wasn't willing to stick around with happened to be present.

Choosing his words with care, he answered, "I'd love to, but not tonight. Maybe some other time?"

"Sure," Mikan chirped without hesitation. Shinji's heart fluttered. This was one of the reasons that he liked her so much. She was just about the warmest, friendliest girl he'd ever met.

Despite their audience, he couldn't keep the grin off his face or disguise the pleasure in his voice as he answered, "Great!"

Smiling, Mikan offered to walk him to the gate, which he readily accepted. Two steps down the path, she yelped, sharply lifting one foot off the ground. Turning back towards the porch, she called out, "Natsume!" Without looking up from his manga, Natsume grabbed her garden clogs from beside him with one hand and tossed them over the railing. "Thanks!" she called, slipping into her shoes and continuing down the path with Shinji.

Walking beside her just the two of them, especially once they were around the corner of the temple and out of Natsume's sight, was nice enough for Shinji even without conversation, so they made it all the way to the gate in silence before Mikan broke it.

"Thanks again for delivering the ao-kamasu," she said.

"Anytime," he told her, hoping that she'd take him up on it. With a wave, he headed through the gate with a bit of a bounce in his step. Without Natsume's fiery gaze on him, he was able to relax again and relish the short time he'd spent in Mikan's company.

* * *

Natsume continued to stare at his manga even after the other two teenagers had disappeared down the path. Truthfully though, he hadn't read a single word since he'd opened it. His eyes skimmed the same two pages repeatedly, not even trying to focus on the words.

He knew that he had no cause to feel upset. Fingers brushing Mikan's face as she slept was hardly an act of sexual harassment.

He knew that he had no right to feel possessive. Mikan wasn't his girlfriend.

He knew that he had no reason to feel threatened. Mikan had already rejected Shinji once and right in front of Natsume's eyes.

Yet the moment he'd come around the corner of the temple and seen Akawa Shinji gazing at her sleeping figure like a lovesick swain with his fingers tenderly brushing her hair out of her face (for that's what it had looked like from Natsume's perspective), he'd felt a slick anger ignite deep inside him. Sitting here listening to the two of them as his temper slowly dissipated, Natsume had quickly figured out why.

It wasn't that Shinji had harmed her in any way or that Mikan was rightfully _his_ girlfriend or that Shinji really even stood a chance at wooing her. What really bothered him so much that he'd instantly wanted to roast Akawa Shinji alive was simply the fact that he had _touched_ her while she was so utterly and completely _vulnerable_. Whether or not Shinji would have gone any farther if Natsume hadn't come along just then wasn't the point. It was what the situation indicated, regardless of who found themselves in it; Mikan could be put at risk so easily and Natsume hated it. Maybe he was feeling particularly sensitive because of her fall yesterday or maybe it was just in his nature. All he knew was that stronger than his sense of justice or his selfishness was his instinctual _protectiveness_ towards the people he cared about.

And he cared about Mikan a lot.

His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps hurrying up the gravel path and onto the porch's steps. A moment later, Mikan plopped down next to him. Leaning against his shoulder, she gazed at the open manga in his hands and asked, "What're you reading?"

Without looking at her, he flipped the manga shut to show her the cover, keeping a finger between the pages to hold his spot.

" _Inuyashiki…_ " she read out loud. Smiling, she said, "He looks like Jii-chan. Would I like this?"

"No," he answered without hesitation. "It's gory and ongoing." Mikan would often borrow his manga, but he steered her clear of anything with elements of supernatural horror, grotesque gore (by her standards, not his), excessive language (again, by her standards, not his), and overt sexuality ("animated porn" as she'd called it after flipping through one of his volumes of _Seikon no Qwaser_ ). She also refused to read anything that was still ongoing. She didn't have the patience or memory to wait for the next volume to come out and she became too emotionally invested in the stories to wait to find out what happened next. She'd nearly had a mental breakdown last summer when she'd read the first 36 volumes of _Skip Beat_ (which actually belonged to Aoi) only to find out that the series wasn't over yet and was only published at a rate of one chapter per month.

Mikan grimaced in distaste as she said, "Okay." Instantly changing the subject, she asked him, "Are you staying for dinner?"

Natsume grunted, noticing that she hadn't bothered to ask him why he was there. Over the years, the youngsters had come and gone from each other's homes for the most part as they'd pleased, but it was still fairly unusually for him to come over by himself. Not that he would have been honest with her even if she'd asked.

After working out in the home gym, Natsume had showered and spent several hours playing video games with Ruka. After lunch, Hotaru had requested Ruka's help ("Ruka, come be my guinea pig.") with some piece of technology or other that she'd been working on in her bedroom all morning, so Natsume had found himself reading manga alone in his room. A few hours later, Ruka was still assisting Hotaru and Aoi was swimming with their mother and Saki-san in the pool. Natsume hadn't felt like joining them or pursuing any of the many activities that he could do solo. Only one thing had sounded appealing, so after shoving his manga into the side pocket of his gray cargo shorts, he'd shot his mother a short text that had simply read, "Going to the temple."

No matter how he chose to phrase it, the only explanation for his decision was that he had missed Mikan or at the very least had craved her company. He wasn't about to admit that to her, so it was just as well that she hadn't questioned his unexpected arrival.

Taking his grunt as a "yes," Mikan stood up and told him, "Okay. I'm going to start working on it. You should come inside and sit with Jii-chan while you read. He likes your company." She turned away to head for the door.

Instinctively, Natsume's hand shot out to catch hers, halting her movement away from him. He looked up at her for the first time since she'd returned from her walk with Shinji. She gazed questioningly at him without pulling her hand away.

What did he want to say to her? What _could_ he say to fix the problem he'd had with her earlier situation? Staring into her amber eyes, he realized that words just wouldn't help, so he got as close to the mark as he could.

"You'll get burned if you sleep in the sun."

Mikan grinned. "There's sunscreen for that."

Standing up to join her, Natsume cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you wearing any?"

"No," she blatantly admitted.

The two continued to volley their quips back and forth to one another as they disappeared inside the temple, sliding the door shut behind them.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Phew!_ Capturing the innocent, yet overwhelming thoughts/feelings of a hormonal teenage boy with a crush is harder than I anticipated, lol.

Did Natsume's thoughts make sense? I was trying to convey the idea that although he feels selfishly possessive of Mikan, he mentally acknowledges that its an irrational emotion and his legitimate concern is simply her tendency to get into compromising, unsafe situations.

Thank you for continuing to read this story!


	6. Friends Are The Family You Choose

**Author's Note:** View the Chapter 6 inspiration board on Pinterest by visiting the website and adding /thisishighschool/ to the end of the URL address.

This is a pretty long chapter. I hope you all like it!

* * *

Chapter 6: Friends Are The Family You Choose

Grinning excitedly, Mikan held tightly to the railing of the small yacht as she leaned forward into the warm breeze. She never got tired of going out on the Hyuuga and Imai families' boats since she and her grandfather didn't own any themselves. The yacht was kept moored along with the families' speed boat at the vacation house's private dock during the summers. Since Saki-san and Kaoru-san were both on board for their trip to Owase today, they'd chosen to take the larger of the two watercraft.

As promised, Kaoru-san had allowed Natsume to take the wheel. From his position manning the helm in the yacht's second level cockpit, Natsume could keep an eye on Mikan, who stood alone at the bow. He wasn't _too_ worried that she'd fall off since the yacht provided a much smoother ride than the speed boat, but he'd seen her do crazier things before and the sight of her falling off the temple roof two days ago was still fresh in his mind. Ruka and Aoi were sitting on the bench seat behind him where they could enjoy the elevated view while Hotaru was keeping company with their mothers around a large, oval pedestal table surrounded by cushioned swivel chairs that were anchored to the floor at the boat's stern.

It was a quick 20 minute ride up the coast to the Owase harbor, less than half the time it would have taken by car. As they approached, Kaoru-san climbed the ladder to join Natsume at the helm so that she could direct him to the rental dock where they would leave the yacht during their stay. Carefully guiding the vessel alongside the indicated spot, Natsume watched as Ruka and Mikan prepared to disembark to secure the boat. With a gentle bump, the fenders made contact. Leaping over the side, Ruka quickly tied off the bow line while Mikan worked on the stern line.

"Is this tight enough, Ruka-pyon?" she called, gesturing to the taut line running from one of the cleats on the yacht to one on the dock.

Looking over her handiwork, he answered, "You actually need to loosen it a bit so that the line has some slack. You don't want the cleats to tear off when the boat rises and falls on the water." Natsume usually helped with this job, but since he was driving this time, the task had fallen to Mikan. She quickly redid the stern line while Ruka worked on the spring lines.

After Ruka was satisfied with their work, Mikan shaded her eyes and called up to Natsume, "All clear, Captain!"

Smirking at her name-calling, Natsume shut off the engine and handed the keys to his mother. With Natsume on board and Ruka on the dock, the boys made sure that Kaoru-san, Saki-san, Hotaru, and Aoi had safely disembarked before heading towards the boathouse.

"So what did you think? Didn't I tell you that he's good?" Kaoru-san asked Mikan with a grin as they walked.

Mikan glanced at Natsume's smug face and rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, Natsume has proven once again that there's nothing he can't do."

"So you finally admit it," he teased her.

Mikan laughed mockingly and chose not to reply. She skipped ahead to fall in line next to Hotaru, looping their arms together as she asked, "Are you ready to tour the town?"

Hotaru smirked. "It's hardly touring the town when we've been here at least a dozen times."

"Yeah, but it's taken us almost 10 years to come that many times, so it's always a little bit new," Mikan countered optimistically.

"Well, I'm excited," Aoi declared, popping up on Mikan's other side and linking their arms. "We've _got_ to get some donuts from Amai Kashi while we're here!"

While Mikan and Aoi began discussing their various favorites from the popular donut shop, Kaoru-san went inside the boathouse to register and pay for their dock rental. When she returned, she suggested that they head for the retail district first, which played host to a wide variety of shops that dwarfed Makikawa's small shopping area. With 18,000 residents, Owase was a far cry from Tokyo with its population of 9.25 million, but compared to Makikawa, it was quite large. Famous for its thriving fishing industry and forestry of rich cypress wood, the capital of the Mie prefecture sat on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, drawing thousands of visitors each year. Incidentally, Mikan had spent two weeks at the Owase Temple to be trained in the sacred art of kagura dance when she was eight years old.

They made a good looking group as they made their way through the streets. Instead of their usual casual clothing meant for running around the countryside, all three girls had dressed up for the special outing. Mikan wore her new rose-covered romper from Sumire with a simple pair of black sandals. Hotaru had chosen a strapless white romper with vertical lavender stripes and a matching belt tied in a large, floppy bow at the front of her waist. Aoi's sunshine yellow dress was scattered with large slices of watermelon in bold shades of red and green. While Saki-san had opted for an airy sky blue sundress, Kaoru-san had dressed in a sleeveless candy apple red tunic paired with white capris and a long golden necklace. Natsume and Ruka both sported khaki shorts and t-shirts, Ruka's a faded blue and Natsume's a deep burgundy.

"Okaa-san, can we look around this bookstore first?" Aoi asked when they'd made it from the docks to the first major street of shops.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Kaoru-san answered her daughter with a smile, knowing that both of her children were avid manga readers. She also predicted that Natsume and Ruka would inevitably get dragged through a lot of feminine stores today, so she wanted to make sure that they at least got to visit a few shops that would interest them more.

Upon entering the bookstore, the two mothers perused the magazine racks near the front while the teenagers headed straight for the shelves of manga. Aoi gasped excitedly as she reached for a book sitting on a special display of new releases. "They have the latest volume of _Kamisama Kiss_! You should definitely read this when the series ends, Mikan-nee. You'd love it!"

As Mikan followed her to take a look, Natsume and Ruka scoped out the action-adventure section. Hotaru didn't spend much time reading manga, preferring to tinker with electronics in her free time, so she wandered aimlessly throughout the section peering at titles without picking them up.

Since they weren't trying to stick to a particular agenda, the group took their time. Natsume was reading the synopsis of a manga he'd never heard of before called _Until Death Do Us Part_ when Mikan suddenly skipped up to him with a manga clutched in her hands. "Natsume, look!" she said with a big grin. Peering down at the manga she was holding, Natsume snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's called _Natsume's Book of Friends!_ " she laughed. "It's like they made it just for you!" Flipping through the pages, she raised an eyebrow teasingly and asked, "Why am I not in here?"

"Because you're not my friend," Natsume smirked, turning back to his own find.

"Haha," Mikan replied sarcastically, lightly hitting him upside the head with the manga before walking away. Behind her, Natsume suppressed a smile.

"Hey, Hotaru, come check this out!" Ruka called to his girlfriend, grinning like a Cheshire cat. When she approached him with a raised eyebrow, he held up a manga with a picture of a female superhero on the cover. " _Cool Blue Sky!_ She looks just like you!"

Hotaru seemed unimpressed. "Don't go getting any funny ideas," she warned him. Mikan and Aoi came over to see for themselves.

"Wow, she really does look just like you, Hotaru!"

"Yeah, it's like seeing what you'd look like animated, Hotaru-nee!"

At that moment, Kaoru-san and Saki-san walked up. "Are you all ready to move on?" Saki-san asked. While Aoi took the copy of _Cool Blue Sky_ from Ruka's hands to show Hotaru's mother, the other teens answered that they were ready to leave. Natsume and Ruka had each found something to purchase, so they headed for the counter to pay while the girls and their mothers went to wait outside.

Before she could step out the door, Mikan spotted a book lying face down on the floor. Picking it up, she turned it over curiously. " _I.O.N_ ," she read the title out loud. The style of the cover illustration looked familiar to her and she grinned excitedly when she saw that the author was Tanemura Arina-sensei, one of her favorite mangaka. Flipping the manga back over again, she scanned the back cover to see if the number of volumes in the series was listed. She was thrilled to discover that it wasn't a series at all, but a standalone story. She could easily afford to buy a single manga and there was no chance that the title was still ongoing.

Mikan was so absorbed in her discovery that she didn't notice that she had stopped in front of the doorway. With a sudden clash of bodies and a loud gasp, she felt her sandal clad feet slip out from under her as she was thrown backwards. Instantly dropping the manga, she instinctively reached forward seeking something to grab onto as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist to stop her from falling.

Blinking, Mikan found herself embracing a teenage boy who looked to be several years older than her, his face frozen in a look of surprise. They simply stared at each other for a second getting over the shock of their unexpected collision when another teenage boy, presumably a friend of the one holding Mikan, stepped through the doorway behind them and asked with a grin, "Eh, who's your girlfriend, Tadashi?"

The question snapped them both to their senses. "Sorry about that," the guy named Tadashi told her as he carefully released her.

"It was my fault. I wasn't paying any attention. I shouldn't have been standing here. I'm sorry!" Mikan apologized, her face flushed with embarrassed. "Thanks for catching me," she added with a quick bow.

With a smile and a light blush, Tadashi rubbed the back of his head. "No problem," he assured her. He couldn't help glancing at her from head to toe now that there was some space between them. She was awfully cute in her off-the-shoulder romper covered in red roses with a pretty smile lighting up her face and all that long hair spilling down her back.

"What are you doing?"

All three heads turned to see Natsume and Ruka standing off to the side. Ruka smiled easily at the boys, but Natsume's eyes were narrowed. Remembering that her friends were waiting for her, Mikan snatched her manga up off the floor again. "Nothing, I just found a book I want to buy," she answered. Flashing Tadashi and his friend another smile, she said, "Thanks again."

Natsume kept his eyes on Tadashi as Mikan walked past him on her way to the counter. "Bye," Tadashi called, glancing at Natsume and Ruka before he and his friend headed farther into the bookstore. As Natsume turned, Ruka raised both eyebrows at him, his look conveying understanding rather than amusement for once. Continuing on his way out the door, Ruka didn't bother to hold it open behind him, correctly assuming that his best friend wouldn't be following him just yet.

As Mikan paid for her manga, she felt a warm body step up close behind her. She turned to see who it was, her frown morphing into a look of mild surprise when she identified Natsume. "Didn't you already check out?" she asked him curiously.

"I'm making sure you hurry up, slow poke," he told her dryly. Really, he just didn't feel like letting her out of his sight yet.

Natsume and Ruka had looked over at the sound of her collision in time to see Tadashi catch her, and in Natsume's opinion, the guy had held her far closer and far longer than strictly necessary. Still, he was begrudgingly grateful that she'd been caught since she could have gotten seriously injured falling backward like that. When the other guy had referred to Mikan as Tadashi's girlfriend, Natsume had very nearly abandoned his purchase, instinctively wanting to obliterate the idea from the face of the Earth, but he'd held himself in place as the cashier had handed him his change and receipt. As he and Ruka had made their way over, he'd distinctly noticed Tadashi checking her out with a blush on his stupid face. Natsume didn't have to be a mind reader to know what type of thoughts were most likely running through the guy's head, knowing what he himself had thought earlier that morning when Mikan had arrived at the vacation house looking entirely too good for a simple day trip to Owase. Rational or irrational, after catching Akawa Shinji with her yesterday, Natsume was in no mood for putting up with other guys showing an interest in her, whether by touching her or leering at her.

After thanking the cashier, Mikan headed towards the exit with Natsume right behind her. She smiled at him when he held the door open for her. Once outside, she apologized for the delay and showed her friends the manga she'd found, promising to loan it to Aoi after reading it.

The group made their way down the moderately busy street, occasionally stopping by a shop that caught someone's eye. Sometimes Natsume and Ruka would visit a store nearby when the women and girls chose to look around a shop that seemed particularly unappealing to them, but for the most part, they tagged along.

While inside a jewelry store that Saki-san was interested in, Aoi and Mikan stopped to admire a display of beautiful hairpins. Ruka noticed Hotaru gazing at a case filled with sparkling amethysts a few steps away. Casually walking up beside her, he asked, "Do you see anything you like?"

Hotaru hummed in response, considering whether or not to answer him honestly. Something _had_ caught her eye, but she knew that if she pointed it out to him, he'd want to buy it for her, which was unnecessary. It meant more to her that he'd noticed her looking and bothered to ask. Still, he was happy in his role as the doting boyfriend and she didn't dislike that part of him, so she decided to give him what he wanted.

"That's a lovely necklace," she acknowledged, pointing to an exquisite pendant dangling from the end of a thin silver chain. The pendant featured a large amethyst teardrop encased in a swirl of white gold that twisted down below the precious gemstone. The whole thing was embellished with tiny little leaves of bright green peridot and lavender quartz with diamond accents. Noticing their apparent interest, one of the shopkeepers approached them and offered to open up the case for them. Hotaru was surprised when Ruka politely declined.

"Thank you, but my girlfriend and I are just looking," he told the gentleman with a nod.

His unexpected response made her smile slyly, internally delighted. It wasn't often that her boyfriend defied her expectations and she felt a thrill at the promise of a battle of wits when he did. Imai Hotaru was no fool; she knew her boyfriend well and would wager good money that his casual dismissal was an attempt to throw her off so that he could purchase the gift for her in secret and surprise her. Her birthday wasn't until October, but she wouldn't put it past him to hold on to it until Christmas for good measure. No matter how long he waited, she would remember. She genuinely didn't care whether he bought the pretty piece of jewelry for her or not, but she loved to test her own cleverness by deducing his next series of moves.

Always staying one step ahead of him to the point that he'd found her infuriating was one of the things that she'd enjoyed most during their childhood together. Ruka was adorable when he was frustrated, but he'd become far less frazzled and far more admiring of her cunning over the years, despite still being outwitted by her many times. Whether from experience or simply his own developing intellect, he'd grown far better at their private little competitions to the point that he, too, had begun to relish his victories. It was like a chess game that they'd been playing since they were small and Ruka was one of the few people that Hotaru deemed worthy of being her opponent.

Quite pleased at the perceived challenge, Hotaru turned away from the case and Ruka followed her leisurely around the room. Giving up on the pair, the shopkeeper turned to Natsume instead, who stood several feet away with his hands in his pockets. "What about you and your lovely girlfriend? Can I help the two of you find anything special today?"

Natsume quirked an eyebrow at the middle-aged man. Mikan and Aoi were both standing nearby, but since Aoi obviously looked like his sister (especially with their mother standing in the same room), he must have been referring to Mikan. Aoi giggled and elbowed Mikan when she didn't seem to notice. "He's talking to you."

Mikan turned and blinked owlishly at the man. She'd been so engrossed in looking at the decorative hairpins that she hadn't heard a word he'd said. It seemed that he could tell because he repeated his query. "Are you and your boyfriend looking for something special?"

Natsume felt a strong sense of satisfaction at the sight of the rosy blush that colored Mikan's cheeks, her reaction feeding his masculine ego. She opened her mouth to deny their relationship status, but before she could get a word out, Natsume piped up, "Not today, thank you." His expression remained cool as he turned away from the shopkeeper dismissively as if there hadn't been anything wrong with the posed question. Mikan's heart skipped a beat, but she told herself that Natsume just hadn't wanted to bother with correcting the man's mistake and there was nothing more to it.

When Kaoru-san and Saki-san wanted to look around a little shop full of pottery and antiques, Natsume, Ruka, Hotaru, and Aoi decided to wait outside. Knowing that her grandfather's birthday was coming up and that he loved antiques, Mikan joined the two ladies inside. They browsed around tables full of knick-knacks, walls covered in old paintings and intricately designed clocks, and shelves filled with handmade pots in all manner of shapes and sizes. Spotting a little wooden box, Mikan reached for the item and lifted it up to examine it. The lid was beautifully carved to depict a blossoming sakura tree with its petals swirling away on the wind. The box was the perfect size to hold one of her grandfather's dried herbs and the image on top was a lovely representation of their family name. Satisfied that she'd found a good birthday present, she checked the price and decided that it was reasonable. She paid for the box and went outside to wait with her friends while Kaoru-san and Saki-san finished exploring.

Their next stop was a pet store. Ruka positively adored animals and was always happy to shower affection on any creature he came into contact with whether it was cute, cuddly, odd, or creepy. After ten minutes of wandering around the shop admiring its occupants, Mikan noticed that Ruka was spending extra time by a particular kennel. When she saw what was inside, her heart clenched. Quietly, she walked up and kneeled down next to him.

"She looks just like Charlotte," she said quietly.

"Yeah, she does," he agreed softly. Though he wore a small smile, his normally bright sapphire eyes were muted with sadness.

Unlike his friends, Ruka was not full-blooded Japanese; he was half French. His mother was a stunningly beautiful woman named Lina Laurent (legally Nogi Lina) who had met and married his father, Nogi Ren, while she was attending college in Japan as a foreign exchange student. Lina-san had been an actress in France with dreams of becoming the best in the industry, but had made do with modeling while living in Tokyo to raise Ruka. When he was five, she'd started returning to her home country periodically to film small roles, which had eventually become bigger and bigger roles, taking her away for longer and longer stretches of time. Since his father also traveled overseas a great deal as part of running his international imports and exports business, Ruka had spent a significant portion of his childhood living with the Hyuugas. He'd understood his parents' long, frequent absences from a young age and been kind enough and loving enough to forgive them. Admittedly though, he would have had a much harder time were it not for the companionship he received from living with his two best friends— Natsume, who was like a brother to him, and Charlotte, an ivory Great Pyrenees from France who'd been given to him as a one-year-old puppy by his mother the very first time that she'd traveled to her homeland without him.

Two months ago in mid-April at the age of ten, Charlotte had died.

Mikan doubted that she would ever forget the call from Hotaru telling her that the large, loving canine that had spent its summers with them in Makikawa had passed away. She'd cried all weekend in grief for the precious family pet and for her dear friend, Ruka, whose sorrow she could only compare to the loss she'd felt at the deaths of her parents. Now, as she knelt side-by-side with him gazing at the familiar form of a fluffy dog lying in the kennel, she gave him the tender comfort that she'd wished that she could give him back then. She silently leaned her head on his shoulder, just being there, without words, without expectations. Her quiet thoughts and gentle feelings reached him and Ruka leaned his own head against hers. He was grateful for her friendship and their shared memories and love of a four-legged friend.

Standing near the door, Natsume and Hotaru watched them silently. Best friend to one and boyfriend to the other, Ruka was cherished by them both. When Charlotte had died, they'd felt the weight of his agonizing loss. Aoi, too, had been devastated. When Ruka had announced at dinner one night that he wasn't going to get a new pet so that he could focus on the demands of high school and college, they'd all recognized the strength and commitment in his decision to not simply replace Charlotte with something else— _someone_ else—as if looking for a quick and easy fix to ease his pain. That was Ruka, kind and strong and gentle, Natsume's better half and the half that made Hotaru whole.

Then there was Mikan, able to match Ruka in a way that Natsume and Hotaru couldn't. While they could understand Ruka, Mikan was actually like him. They both shared that unique ability to naturally empathize with another living being, to feel the other's feelings and freely give what the other needed. Right now, she was giving to Ruka and he could sense her feelings all the way down to his core. Not for the first time, the trio of wealthy city kids were grateful to whatever twist of fate had brought her to them out of the millions of people in Japan. She was Sakura Mikan, their very own polka dot wearing baka, and she was uniquely special to each of them.

When Kaoru-san called for them to leave, Ruka and Mikan both wiped their eyes before walking out the door to where Natsume and Hotaru were waiting for them. Hotaru slipped her hand into Ruka's while Natsume fell into place between Mikan and Aoi. None of them said anything, each of them knowing that words weren't necessary. Rather than continuing to shop, Saki-san suggested that they stop for lunch. They knew of a wonderful waterfront restaurant that served delicious fresh seafood, so the group set off towards the beach.

As they ate their food, Kaoru-san asked if they wanted to go to the Owase cinema after lunch to see the new Disney movie _Finding Dory._ They happily agreed. Makikawa didn't have a movie theater, so it made sense for them to take advantage of the one in Owase while they were there. Three hours later, the group emerged from the movie theater wearing big smiles as they laughed and joked about their favorite parts of the film.

"Watching the truck fall in slow motion was the best scene ever!" Mikan declared as she skipped between Aoi and Hotaru.

"I liked Hank," Hotaru contributed, her lips curved into an amused smile.

"All those cute little otters!" Aoi squealed, pressing her hands against her cheeks as she gushed.

Ruka grinned. "I liked Bailey and Becky." Turning to Natsume, he asked, "Who did you like?"

Natsume smirked. "The sea lions."

Ruka quirked an eyebrow and asked, "The bullies or the stupid one?"

"All three of them," his best friend answered.

"Of course you would," Ruka laughed.

Pausing on the sidewalk, Kaoru-san asked, "Is anyone else ready for a snack? I could go for something sweet right about now."

"Can we try that crepe place we spotted near the beach?" Mikan asked hopefully. She didn't remember ever seeing it before and their display had made her mouth water.

Kaoru-san grinned. "Sounds perfect! Any objections?"

"Those crepes did look quite delicious," Saki-san said with a smile.

It wasn't a terribly far walk to the boulevard that separated the commercial district from Owase's sandy beaches. The street was mostly lined with various inexpensive food options, many featuring outdoor seating areas where patrons could enjoy the weather and an oceanfront view while they ate. The crepe restaurant was one such place with a walk-up window for ordering and outdoor seating only. When they arrived, the group crowded around the oversized menu displayed on the front of the little building. The menu featured colorful photos of the various crepes to tempt passersby.

"There are so many choices!" Aoi commented.

"I know and they all look so good!" Mikan squealed.

"When you girls know what you'd like, let us know and you can go choose a table for us. Ruka-kun and Natsume-kun can help us carry the food," Saki-san suggested, smiling at their enthusiasm.

When they'd made their selections, Mikan, Hotaru, and Aoi set off in search of a good spot to enjoy their treats. A few of the tables out front were occupied, but there were more set up around the side and back that provided a clearer view of the beach. Choosing a picnic table behind the crepe shop with a spectacular view, the girls sat backwards on one of its benches and enjoyed the breeze blowing up from the ocean. There was no one else behind the crepe shop, but they could see a few people at the neighboring eateries some distance away.

"Did either of your moms mention what time they want to head home?" Mikan asked her friends.

Aoi shook her head as Hotaru answered, "I think the plan is flexible."

"There's still plenty of stuff left to do, so as long as we don't get too tired, they'll probably let us stay until the evening," Aoi added.

"Too bad there aren't any fireworks today," Mikan mused. There had been a couple of times in the past that they'd been out on one of the boats during one of Owase's fireworks displays and Mikan loved the sight of the bright, colorful explosions reflecting on the open water.

The girls continued to chatter while they waited for the ladies and boys to join them with the food. After just a few minutes, their conversation was interrupted by an unfamiliar male voice.

"Well, well, well… look at these cuties!"

The girls looked up to see two teenage boys a couple years older than Mikan and Hotaru approaching their table. The taller of the two had short spiky brown hair and multiple ear piercings. The shorter one had long chocolate brown hair tied back in a low ponytail beneath a camouflage baseball cap that he wore backwards. Their appearances weren't particularly conspicuous, but their arrogant smirks and the way that they openly raked their eyes over the girls immediately set off alarm bells in Hotaru and Aoi's minds. Mikan merely blinked curiously at the newcomers.

 _Great… hooligans,_ Hotaru thought with mild disgust.

The two teens stopped directly in front of the girls. The taller one grinned and asked his buddy, "What do you think? Babe scale, 1 to 10."

The shorter guy rubbed his chin as if considering. With a smirk, he replied, "I'd say solid sevens."

"Nah, man, these ladies are _eights_ in those outfits," the taller boy countered, his lips drawn back in a lecherous grin. Leaning down, he put his face close to Hotaru's and drawled, "Oh yeah, this one's definitely a beauty, maybe even a nine."

Hotaru returned his stare blandly, thoroughly unimpressed. Beside her, Aoi bit her lip nervously, distinctly uncomfortable with the boys' proximities and demeanors. Mikan frowned as she scolded them. "That's not very nice, rating girls' looks."

The taller boy turned his gaze away from Hotaru to grin at Mikan in amusement. "Don't get jealous, baby. You're a fine looking piece of work, too." Straightening, he swept his gaze across all three girls. "So what do you say, ladies? Join us for a walk on the beach. It'd be a shame to leave you girls all alone out here."

His companion placed a hand on the table behind Aoi and said suggestively, "We take care of pretty girls like yourselves. Come on, let us show you a good time." When he reached his other hand toward Aoi's face as if to touch her, Mikan leapt to her feet and slapped it away.

"She's _12_ ," she hissed, glowering at the teenager. She could ignore rudeness and even insults, but her temper instantly flared in defense of her friend. It had taken her a minute longer than Hotaru and Aoi to pick up on the boys' inappropriate cues, but Mikan had come to see that they were both bad news.

The shorter boy blinked at Mikan in surprise, though it was unclear if it was her slapping his hand or Aoi's age that had caught him off guard. The taller one laughed. "Easy there, pretty kitty. There's two of us and two of you," he said, pointing from Mikan to Hotaru, "so there's no need for your little friend to join us."

"We're not interested," Hotaru spoke up, standing and pulling Aoi with her.

"Ah, don't be that way," he told her silkily. "Just get to know us better. I'd _love_ to get to know _you_ better." When he took a step towards Hotaru, Mikan forcefully moved herself between them.

"Not happening," she spat emphatically, glaring up at the boy who was significantly larger than herself.

Behind her, Hotaru whispered quietly to Aoi, "Get the boys," and gently shoved the younger girl back towards the crepe shop. Aoi took off at a run. Neither of the boys tried to stop her as they were both focused on Mikan.

For the first time since approaching them, the taller boy frowned. His eyebrows knit together in displeasure and his voice was tinged with anger as he sneered, "What's your problem? Think you're too good for us or something?"

Hands balled into fists at her sides, Mikan didn't back down, too incensed by her instinctive desire to protect her friends. "Just leave us alone," she told him. "We don't know you, we don't want to get to know you, and we don't want to go anywhere with you."

The boy towered over her menacingly as he growled, "Is that so, _bitch_?" His hand shot out to grab her left arm tightly, dragging her towards him. Instantly, Mikan cried out as the boy's fingers dug into the bruise from her fall on the temple roof.

The next thing Mikan knew, she was hunched over on the ground clutching her arm defensively, her eyes squeezed shut against tears of pain. She could feel Hotaru's hands on her shoulders as her friend crouched behind her. When she forced her eyes open to see what was going on, an unexpected sight greeted her.

Ruka was standing protectively in front of the two girls, his hands balled into fists as he glared icily at the two strangers several feet away. Both of the offending teenagers were lying on the ground at Natsume's feet. It was a good thing that Natsume had his back to Mikan because at that moment, his face was terrible to behold. His expression was twisted with rage as he glared murderously at the boy who had dared to lay his hand on Mikan (though frankly, just knowing that the two punks had harassed his little sister and the other two girls was enough to thoroughly piss him off).

He'd been waiting for their food by the pick-up window with his mother, Ruka, and Saki-san when Aoi had suddenly come running around the small building and panted, "Onii-chan! Two guys came up and started harassing us—" Natsume hadn't even waited for her to finish. He'd rushed back the way Aoi had come with Ruka hot on his tail. He'd turned the corner in time to see the taller of the two boys growl something in Mikan's face before grabbing her and pulling her forward, eliciting a pained cry from the teenage girl.

Natsume had instantly seen red.

Crossing the distance between them at an insane speed, Natsume had swiped a hand up sharply to break the guy's hold on Mikan. Twisting his torso to send a strong fist into the guy's stomach, Natsume had hooked a foot behind his opponent's ankle and jerked it forward, sending the teen sprawling backward. The shorter guy had launched himself at Natsume in retaliation, but Natsume had easily dodged him and whacked the boy sharply on the back of the neck, the strike sending him down face first next to his fallen companion.

Natsume was breathing fast. He squeezed his fists tightly, willing himself to calm down. He was gripped by a white hot fury that was clouding his judgment. He'd been taught to set his emotions aside in combat, but apparently, that was a lot harder to do in real-life than in a practice match. Suddenly, his anger at seeing Akawa Shinji touch Mikan's sleeping face yesterday seemed like a mild annoyance compared to the powerful emotion currently coursing through him.

The taller boy sat up on the ground and winced, his arms clutching his stomach. Through bared teeth, he snarled at Natsume, "You son of a—" His friend jerked his arm.

"Let's go, man. Come on! Let's go!" The shorter guy glanced nervously towards the crepe shop where Kaoru-san and Saki-san were standing with Aoi, observing the situation from a distance. He pulled his taller friend to his feet. The two headed away from their furious adversary, nursing their injuries and their pride as they went. Twenty feet away, the taller one turned to glare hatefully at Natsume one last time. He glanced down at Mikan with equal ire before continuing his retreat.

When Natsume had sufficiently calmed himself, he turned around to see his mother and sister standing with Saki-san by the corner of the crepe shop. He caught his mother's eye. She wore an expression of solemn approval and nodded at him once. After returning the gesture, Natsume strode quickly towards his friends. At his approach, Hotaru released her grip on Mikan's shoulders and moved to stand with Ruka. Her boyfriend gently pulled her aside to check on her and ask for details about what had happened before he and Natsume had arrived.

Mikan was still clutching her left arm when Natsume kneeled down in front of her. He could see that her eyes were wet with tears despite her facial expression holding more confusion than pain. The sight of them sparked a fresh jolt of anger in his already tightly clenched stomach. As he reached for her arm, Mikan blinked at him in disbelief, her mouth agape. "What did you _do_?"

Apparently, she had completely missed the short fight. Glancing up at her face, he answered, "Less than they deserved." Examining her arm, he noted that her bruise had re-darkened. The skin that had taken on a faded tone by that morning now appeared red and inflamed. Briefly, he considered going after the two punks to give them another taste of his vengeance.

Mikan continued to stare at him. "Are you, like, a spy or a secret agent or something?"

Natsume raised a single eyebrow as he regarded her with a slight frown. "Don't be ridiculous. You know what kind of training I do to prepare for running HDI." HDI was the acronym for his family's company, Hyuuga Defense Industries. As the Hyuuga heir, Natsume would someday take control of the business when his father retired or passed away. As such, he'd been trained from a young age in a wide range of skills that would support him in his future career. He still had a long way to go, but he already had a much higher level of knowledge and ability than the average, untrained person when it came to things such as martial arts, rescue and safety procedures, survival skills, and first aid.

"Yeah, but I've never seen you use it," Mikan answered, sounding a bit impressed. Technically, she hadn't really seen him use it this time either, but the results of his encounter with the two older boys told her enough.

"Sure you have," Natsume smirked. "I use my survival and rescue skills all the time when I'm with you."

"Haha," Mikan laughed dryly. "Really though, I didn't know that you could fight like that," by which she meant that she hadn't known that he could face older, larger opponents in a 2-on-1 match and _win_. Her brow furrowed in concern as she looked him over. "You're really not hurt?"

Natsume gazed seriously at her, his hands still holding her arm gently. " _You're_ the one who's hurt. What were you thinking picking a fight you couldn't possibly win? Why didn't you try walking away or screaming?"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "It's not like I knew that things would turn violent. I just wanted them to leave us alone. The one with the ponytail tried to touch Aoi-chan and the tall one was acting all sleazy towards Hotaru."

Hearing that the second guy he'd taken down had tried to touch his sister, Natsume positively seethed. He returned his gaze to Mikan's arm and fought to keep his voice even as he continued to admonish her. "As admirable as defending your friends is, you can only do what you can do before needing help. That's true for you, me, anyone. Next time you feel threatened, do what Aoi did; _first_ try to get away and _if_ you can't, _then_ fight like hell and do it while screaming your head off."

Mikan frowned at the dark, fiery glow in Natsume's downturned garnet eyes. Instinctively, she reached her right hand out to brush his long bangs out of his face. He lifted his gaze at her action. "I'll be okay, you know. It really hurt when he squeezed it like that, but it's still just a bruise. It'll go away."

Natsume stared at her silently. He'd dealt with enough bruises to know that the pain of reinjuring an existing bruise was often far worse than the pain of the original impact. Shock and adrenalin could partially numb the pain of a new injury, but that effect was usually absent during a later blow to the same site. Mikan's arm was probably throbbing painfully, yet she was putting on a brave face to reassure him. It was mildly infuriating, entirely noble, and exactly the type of thing that Mikan would do.

With a heavy sigh, Natsume stood and helped Mikan to her feet. Turning to address Ruka, he said, "Our food should be ready by now."

Ruka nodded. "I'll go help bring it over so that you can stay with the girls."

"I'll come with you," Hotaru announced, wanting to walk for a bit. She was irritated at the stupid punk for hurting Mikan, but she partially blamed Mikan for recklessly standing up to him. Like Natsume though, she begrudgingly admired her gusty, loyal, headstrong friend for her selfless actions.

As Ruka and Hotaru walked away, Natsume and Mikan sat down next to each other on the bench. Natsume leaned back with his elbows on the table, staring off into the distance silently. Mikan studied his face. She noticed the subtle tells in his expression that only those close to him would recognize—the minute crease between his brows, the soft pressing together of his lips, the hardening of his jaw line. She knew that his dark mood stemmed from his protectiveness of the people close to him, and since that wasn't a bad thing, there was nothing for her to do to pull him out of it.

With a sigh, she scooted a little closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, willing him to sense that she was okay. Natsume closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His anger still simmered just below the surface, but physically feeling Mikan beside him helped to soothe him.

The remainder of their time in Owase went smoothly. After enjoying the delectable crepes, the group did a little more shopping. By 7 o'clock, they still weren't quite hungry enough for dinner, so they decided to just eat something when they got home. Before returning to the yacht, they stopped by Amai Kashi to get some donuts to take back with them, making sure to get extras for the household staff and Mikan's grandfather. They bought drinks from a vending machine near the docks to enjoy on the ride home. When they boarded, Natsume returned to the helm.

Once they'd cleared the harbor and made it out to the open ocean, Kaoru-san climbed the ladder to join her son in the yacht's open air cockpit. Casually leaning next to him, she gazed out over the deep blue water. "So…" she started, glancing at Natsume's neutral face.

"So…" he returned, keeping his eyes trained ahead as he steered the boat.

"You handled yourself quite well today," his mother complimented lightly. Natsume had expected this conversation and released a deep breath.

"But I could have done better," he returned just as lightly.

Kaoru-san smiled gently. "Well, I did notice that you let your emotions get to you quite a bit."

Natsume nodded. He knew that was where he'd messed up. Letting your emotions control you was a good way to lose a fight or allow yourself to mishandle a situation, which could get yourself arrested if you weren't careful. Natsume had already been thinking about how to work on it, but he was honestly coming up blank. He'd always been praised for keeping a level head in the dojo, never losing his cool whether he was injured, humiliated, or successful. Clear your mind, set your emotions aside, focus on the fight… That's what he'd been taught and he'd thought he was pretty good at it until today.

"I wasn't expecting that," he admitted softly.

Kaoru-san smiled, glad that he was being honest. "That's exactly why I think this was a good learning opportunity. You're an excellent fighter. Your sensei has told your father and I repeatedly that you have the makings of a strong leader. You're smart, athletic, observant, and a dozen other things that make you stand out in a match. That being said, you're also a 14-year-old with very little experience in a _real_ fight. Facing an opponent in a practice match is completely different than facing an actual threat with your life at risk and other people—sometimes people that you care about—depending on you for their safety. Thankfully, what happened this afternoon was only a small instance, but it was enough to give you a taste of how much harder it is to control your emotions when you're dealing with the real thing. Sometimes, I think the responsibilities and pressures you've faced—and how _amazingly_ well you've handled them—have made you forget how young you are, so as your mother, I'm reminding you to try not to be too hard on yourself. Some things can't be learned in a classroom through simulation. They just take time and experience."

Natsume listened quietly, letting his mother's words soak into his mind. He didn't like it, but he knew that she was right; this was something that he would simply have to work on as the opportunities presented themselves. Thinking once again through the earlier conflict, Natsume glanced at his mother questioningly and asked, "Do you think we should've called the police? Did I make the right call by fighting them?"

Kaoru-san shook her head and answered him seriously. "There are two reasons to call the police in that type of situation. The first is to stop the threat when you can't stop it yourself and the second is to have the guilty party arrested. You were able to eliminate the threat yourself, and unfortunately, the boys' actions weren't bad enough to get themselves arrested (though it certainly looked like things were headed in that direction), so summoning the police wouldn't have been useful. If those boys had stayed to fight or met one of the criteria for an automatic arrest (a directly threatening statement, pulling a weapon, etc.), then yes, we'd have called the police. And yes, you made the right call. The moment one of them touched Mikan-chan, you legally had the right to use physical force to stop them."

Natsume nodded silently. Technically, his mother's official position at HDI was that of "Executive Adviser," although he'd been told that the title was merely for legal business purposes. She wasn't involved in any of the ground work, but she stayed closely involved administratively by supporting his father. She'd been an investigative journalist before Natsume was born and her skills made her an excellent source of information. Natsume loved her and highly respected her opinions and support, more so than many of the other adults in his life.

Natsume could hear his friends laughing somewhere on the deck below him. He stared intently at the horizon, thinking about his mother's words and wondering if he would do better next time. As much as he needed to develop as a fighter and protector, he found himself hoping that "next time" would never come for the people close to him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So... *peeks out from behind chair* Good? Bad? Awesome? Awful? I honestly loved writing this chapter, but I recognize that some of the content is pretty predictable. Does that bother anyone or is this exactly the type of stuff that you enjoy reading?


	7. When The Right Thing Hurts

Chapter 7: When The Right Thing Hurts

After their busy week of Summer Solstice Festival activities and the day trip to Owase, Mikan and her friends spent the last weekend of June relaxing, content to take things easy for a few days. Thunderstorms had rolled through the valley since Friday night, further encouraging the young teens to pursue indoor activities. By the time Monday morning dawned bright and clear, Mikan was itching to get outside again.

After throwing on a wide-strapped tank top and shorts, she laced up her sneakers. When she reached the empty kitchen, she realized that she'd gotten up even earlier than Jii-chan. She grabbed a cold water bottle from the fridge and slid in into a bottle carrier that she hooked onto one of her belt loops with a small carabiner. She quickly scribbled a note for her grandfather letting him know where she was headed and that she had her cell phone on her as usual. She stuck the note on the fridge before grabbing an apple on her way out the door.

She munched on her simple breakfast as she headed towards the base of the mountains at the back of the valley. The open fields became speckled with trees the farther she went until finally the road became a narrow dirt path that disappeared into the shadowy edge of the mountains' wooded slopes. She tossed her apple core into a bush as she continued her trek.

The forest was filled with the sounds of birds, bugs, and woodland critters going about their business. Mikan took a deep breath, savoring the damp smell of earth and plants after the weekend's heavy rains. Her eyes flittered about as she went. She loved the many shades of green created by the various trees and shrubs bathed in sunlight and shadow. When the dirt path suddenly dead ended at a much steeper slope, Mikan grinned. This was where the hike got really fun. After a quick swig from her water bottle, Mikan leaned forward as she half-hiked, half-climbed her way around trees and over boulders. It was a small adventure that never got old, finding her way up the side of the mountain. By the time she reached a flat ledge that separated the lower slopes from the higher, steeper ones, her skin was coated in a layer of sweat.

Mikan drank from her water bottle as she followed the wide, shaded ledge around the mountain for a short ways until she found what she was looking for. A rocky outcrop jutted from the mountainside, partially obscured from view by the trees. It offered a fantastic view of the valley without having to climb too far up the mountain, making it a perfect destination for an early morning hike. As Mikan approached, she spotted something unexpected through the foliage, a dark shape sticking up above a small boulder on the ground.

Mikan grinned wickedly, immediately slipping her water bottle back into its carrier. She snuck as quietly as she could through the trees until she was right at the edge of the rocky outcrop. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and leapt from cover with a loud roar.

"BOO!"

"Hey, Polka Dots."

"Ah, man," Mikan whined, walking around the small boulder to plop down next to Natsume. She leaned her back against it, stretching her legs out in the same manner that Natsume sat. "I really thought I had you that time." She scrunched up her nose. "Every day, I become less sure that you're human."

Natsume swallowed a mouthful of water from his own bottle before he smirked. "It's not my fault that you sneak around like a small elephant."

"Hey!" Mikan objected with a grin, shoving his shoulder with hers. She laughed lightly. "So I guess you had the same idea as me this morning." She studied his face. He looked very relaxed, possibly even pleased about something, and seeing him happy made Mikan feel happy, too.

"I guess I did," Natsume replied easily, "or perhaps you had the same idea as me."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Potato, po-tah-to."

Her gaze swept out over the valley. The vast farm fields were dotted with houses and barns. She could see the temple down below and the cluster of buildings that formed Makikawa's main street in the distance. Far to her right, she could see the joint campus of Makikawa Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. To her left, she spotted the vacation house sitting isolated along the beach. The Honshu River wound its way through the middle of the valley and into the vast blue ocean that stretched out to the distant horizon. She smiled as she drew a slow, deep breath. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place full of people she loved. How life could get any better, she just couldn't imagine.

Natsume permitted himself a casual smile. He truly hadn't expected to bump into Mikan when he'd decided to take advantage of the break from the rain that morning to go for a short hike. He found an early morning climb invigorating and had to take advantage of the great landscape while he was in Makikawa. His mother was right, the fresh air here was always a nice change from the city, though he enjoyed Tokyo for its own benefits.

He glanced at Mikan. She was smiling contentedly, occasionally sipping her water. He'd come to expect and accept the way his heart warmed just by having her there beside him. In a moment of indulgence, he swung his arm behind her to drape around her shoulders. Without even a hint of hesitation, Mikan leaned into him, her eyes never leaving the picturesque view before her. Natsume's smile grew and he didn't pause to question himself as he leaned his head against hers.

The two teens sat in silence on their own little slice of the world as the sun rose higher above the mountains behind them. Eventually, Mikan's stomach growled. She laughed as she sat up straight. "I guess that apple wasn't quite enough for breakfast on its own," she explained as she stretched.

Natsume eyed her in amusement. "With an appetite like yours, of course it wouldn't be." Mikan laughed again, the bright sound complimenting the sparkle in her gold-flecked amber eyes. Natsume felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed. "Mikan…"

She instantly turned to look him in the eyes. He didn't say her name too often, so it almost always caught her attention when he did. "Yes, Natsume?" she questioned, blinking curiously as she smiled at him. Natsume felt his pulse quicken. Gingerly, his eyes carefully scanning her face for any sign of resistance, he reached out his hand to tuck her hair back behind her ear.

Mikan's heart skipped a beat. Her skin tingled where Natsume's fingers brushed against it. He was gazing at her seriously, his garnet irises alight with an emotion that made Mikan's heart race. She held his gaze as he withdrew his hand, pulling his fingers through her long hair as he did. Ever so slowly, Natsume leaned towards her, his gaze never wavering. Mikan didn't even register that she had also started to lean towards him. Their faces were still several inches apart when a shrill ringing rent the air.

Mikan jerked back, startled. Natsume suppressed a growl, glaring darkly at the offending cell phone as he pulled it from his pocket. His expression cleared slightly at the name on the screen. With a sigh, he answered it. "What's up, Ruka?" Mikan smiled. Natsume listened silently for a minute before responding, "Yeah, we can do that. I'll need at least an hour to get there though." After a moment, he glanced at Mikan. "Don't bother. She's with me. I'll let her know." After another moment, he continued emphatically, "I _did_ go for a hike. So did she. We bumped into each other on the mountain. We're still up here." Mikan grew curious when Natsume rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Ruka," he said blandly before hanging up. Turning to Mikan, he informed her, "Ruka wants to go horseback riding."

Mikan grinned delightedly. They'd all gone riding together during her friends' first week back in town, but they hadn't gone again since. "That sounds great! I'll just need to stop by the temple to change my shorts first." Natsume nodded. He stood up and helped her to her feet.

Going down this part of the mountain was a slower task than climbing up. The pair picked their way carefully through the trees, often turning around to climb backwards down the steeper, rockier sections. In one such place, Mikan looked down at Natsume over her shoulder and suddenly gasped. "Natsume, stop!" she called urgently. Natsume looked up at her wide, fearful eyes. "Come back!" He didn't pause to question her instructions. Quickly, he climbed upwards until he was next to her. She blew out a relieved breath. "Look," she said, nodding downwards.

Natsume followed her gaze and hissed sharply when his eyes found the danger. "Damn. Well spotted, Polka." Curled up on a rock just below where Natsume had been about to step was a full grown mamushi, an indigenous pit viper and one of the most venomous snakes in Japan. Although bites weren't often lethal thanks to a readily available anti-venom, a full recovery required a week in the hospital, a month of outpatient care, and several more months of healing and strengthening.

Mikan nodded. "That's one of the downsides to living in the country. We get a lot of those in the warmer months."

Natsume smiled grimly. "I bet. Thanks for the warning."

Mikan returned his smile. "Sure thing."

After carefully avoiding the snake, the two continued down the mountainside until they reached the dirt path. Although the going was easier here, they still had to walk single file until they reached the edge of the forest where the path widened into the road that ran all the way back to the temple. Natsume walked side-by-side with Mikan until they reached her home where they found Sakura-ojii-san sitting with a cup of tea on the porch overlooking the temple courtyard.

Mikan left Natsume with her Jii-chan while she ran to her bedroom to change into a pair of denim Bermuda shorts that would protect her thighs from chaffing against the saddle while they rode the horses. After using the bathroom, grabbing a bite to eat from the kitchen, and pulling two fresh water bottles from the fridge, Mikan rejoined Natsume outside. She chatted with her grandfather while Natsume ran inside to use the bathroom.

"Say hello to Ono-san for me, please," Sakura-ojii-san told her with a smile.

"I will," Mikan promised with a grin. When Natsume returned, she handed him one of the water bottles, which he thanked her for, and the two headed back out to the road.

The Ono farm sat on the north end of the valley. When Natsume and Mikan reached the long driveway that stretched from the road to the old two-story gray barn, they spotted Ruka, Hotaru, and Aoi ahead of them.

"Hotaru! Ruka-pyon! Aoi-chan!" Mikan called excitedly, racing down the gravel driveway to catch up with them. The trio paused to wait for her. Natsume continued at his own pace, eventually catching up with them as they exchanged greetings with the bubbly brunette.

"So how was the hike?" Ruka asked with a mischievous smile, glancing at his best friend.

"We saw a mamushi," Mikan chirped.

Natsume smirked when he saw Ruka blink in surprise. That wasn't exactly what the blond had been expecting her to say. "Wow, I hope you guys didn't get too close."

"Natsume almost stepped on it," she answered.

"That's mean, Onii-chan. What did the poor snake ever do to you?" Aoi teased her brother with a grin.

Natsume raised his eyebrows at her pointedly. "Joke all you want, little sister, but you better stay clear if you see _any_ snakes out in the wild."

Aoi rolled her eyes. "I've spent just as many summers here as you. I know not to mess with snakes."

The group continued to chat as they made their way towards the barn. Ruka had called ahead to ask Ono-san's permission to ride the horses today, so the kind middle-aged farmer was already waiting for them in a small paddock next to the barn when they arrived. His son, Ono Hisato, who was two years ahead of Mikan in school, was with him.

"Good morning, Ono-san, Hisato-senpai!" Mikan greeted cheerfully. Her friends repeated her greeting.

"Good morning, kids," Ono-san smiled. "Glad to have you all back. Suikazura's been missing you, Ruka-kun." Ruka smiled warmly at the pretty palomino that stood nearby with its reins tied to a hitching post. Her name meant "buttercup" and it was obvious from her light golden coat and creamy white mane and tail why she'd been named after the flower. Suikazura tossed her mane happily as Ruka approached her, speaking softly and sweetly to her as he affectionately rubbed her face from nose to forehead.

"Aoi-chan, we've got you riding Nikko today," Hisato told her as he led her over to a smaller gray mare who stood calmly awaiting her rider. Before helping Aoi into the saddle, he called over to Natsume, "Natsume-san, Gou is yours again today." Natsume nodded appreciatively on his way over to the strong dun. He patted the horse's thick neck before grabbing a fistful of mane, inserting a foot into the stirrup, and easily hefting himself up into the saddle.

Ono-san led Hotaru and Mikan to a pair of young geldings, one a dark seal brown with a white face that had earned him the name Kamen and the other a beautiful bay whose well deserved name was Kaze. Kamen nuzzled Hotaru's hand as she stroked his snout, eliciting a pleased smile from the teenage girl. Mikan planted a kiss on Kaze's cheek, grinning broadly as she rubbed the young gelding's warm brown coat.

"Remember now, Mikan-chan, Kaze is the fastest horse on the farm and he'll run away with you if you let him, so don't be afraid to show him who's boss," Ono-san warned her.

"Yes, sir," Mikan replied as she mounted Kaze. She knew that Ono-san always put her on Kaze whenever the horse was included in their riding group because she was the most experienced rider among her friends.

After checking that everyone was well situated with their stirrups adjusted to the right length and a good grip on their reins, Ono-san called out final instructions while Hisato opened the gate. "As always, remember to shut any gates you open. The big field over by the woods is empty right now, so that's a good spot for running them today. Feel free to take them out on the riding trails if you'd like, but stop back by here if you decide to take them somewhere else off the farm; they'll need manure catchers. Natsume-kun, keep in mind that Kamen and Kaze are both geldings (in other words, they've been sterilized). That makes Gou the only stallion in this group, so he shouldn't feel any need to establish his dominance, but if he tries anything, separate him from whichever horse he's antagonizing until he calms down. We're right in the middle of breeding season, but he was just paired off with a mare yesterday, so I doubt he'll bother Nikko or Suikazura."

The group nodded their understanding and thanked him as they filed out of the paddock one by one. After a quick trot back up the gravel driveway, they led their horses down the road a ways until they came to the gate to the big field that Ono-san had indicated. Ruka dismounted Suikazura and led her by the reins as he opened the gate, allowing his friends to ride inside before he closed it behind them. The vast grassy pasture offered plenty of space for the friends to walk, trot, and gallop their steeds. One side of the field ran along the edge of the forest, providing a bit of shade close to the fence. Several large water bins were placed around the perimeter for the horses to get a cool drink.

As Ono-san had warned her, Kaze took full advantage of any opportunity that Mikan gave him to run at top speed. She loved it, sometimes outright laughing with delight at the thrill of feeling the strong, graceful creature eat up the ground beneath her. Ruka was in his element, completely in tune with Suikazura, who danced playfully around the other horses with him. Aoi teased her companions now and then by pretending to be a snooty, stately lady looking down her nose at them as she rode by on Nikko. Hotaru and Kamen stuck to their own pace, calmly observing the others from the shady edge of the field when they didn't feel like joining them. Natsume enjoyed testing his skills on Gou, racing him alongside Ruka and Mikan, guiding him backwards or in circles, and trying other basic commands. Several times, Mikan caught herself staring admiringly at the handsome teenager. There was just something attractive about seeing him on horseback. She quickly looked away with a blush whenever she realized the nature of her thoughts.

"Anybody want to hit the trails for awhile, maybe get some shade?" Aoi asked after about an hour.

"That's a good idea," Ruka nodded. "How about we follow the green trail this time? That one usually takes a little over an hour, so it should be almost lunch time when we finish."

The group rode in single file down the narrow trail, enjoying the cool shade provided by the tall trees. This part of the mountain range was farther north than the area that Mikan and Natsume had climbed earlier. The green trail zigzagged back and forth across the lower half of the mountain and was much easier to traverse than the higher reaching red and blue trails that occasionally passed through sheer, rocky passages. The most exciting part of the green trail was simply crossing a shallow creek that didn't even reach the horses knees. The group paused here to allow the horses to drink from the cool mountain stream. They dismounted to wet their hands, faces, and necks during the short break.

"Ruka-pyon, come look at this," Mikan called with a frown. Ruka handed Suikazura's reins to Natsume so that he could walk over to Mikan and Aoi.

"What's up?" he asked as he approached.

"Look at Nikko's hoof," Mikan instructed, pointing at the bottom of the mare's right foreleg.

Ruka bent over and gently tugged at it, prompting Nikko to bend her knee so that he could see the bottom of her hoof. Ruka's eyebrows rose. "She threw a shoe. I wonder how far back that happened…"

Aoi gasped. "She stumbled once about ten minutes ago. Maybe it happened then?"

"Possibly," Ruka answered.

"You really shouldn't ride her until she gets her shoe replaced," Mikan said. "Gou is the strongest horse we have, so why don't you ride with your brother, Aoi-chan?"

A sly smile spread across Aoi's face. "Ew! I don't want to ride with Onii-chan. Why don't _you_ ride with him, Mikan-nee, and I'll ride Kaze?"

Natsume quirked an eyebrow at his sister, knowing exactly what she was up to and quickly coming up with a simple way to thwart her plans. "Nice try, Aoi, but Ono-san puts the baka on Kaze for a reason. You'd fall off in two seconds if he took off with you. If you really don't want to ride with me, you and Ruka can take Gou and I'll ride Suikazura."

Aoi grumbled, "Fine, I'll ride with you." Natsume smirked at her. He certainly wouldn't have minded sharing a horse with Mikan, but he didn't need his little sister butting into his affairs.

Mikan stood aside holding Kaze, Nikko, and Suikazura's reins. Natsume mounted Gou and hoisted Aoi up behind him while Ruka lifted her from the ground. Ruka remounted Suikazura and Mikan handed him Nikko's reins. Once she and Hotaru had also remounted, Natsume led the way across the shallow stream. Ruka went next on Suikazura, leading Nikko along behind him. Hotaru followed the rider-less horse and Mikan brought up the rear so that Kaze wouldn't have the chance to bolt down the narrow trail since the four other horses were effectively blocking his way.

As Mikan chatted happily with Hotaru at the back of the line, Aoi spoke softly to her brother at the front. "Well, that was a waste of a perfect opportunity," she scolded.

Natsume smirked. "Keep your nose out of it, Aoi."

His sister jabbed her finger in his side. "Do you have any idea how frustrating it is watching Alice Academy Middle School Division's number one heartthrob move at a _snail's pace_ with the only girl on the _planet_ that he has _ever_ paid any attention to?"

Before Natsume could respond, Ruka chuckled behind them. "I'm with Aoi-chan on this one. You do realize that our summer here is almost halfway over, right?"

Natsume tsked disapprovingly. "You two are like housewives obsessing over a TV drama. I will do _exactly_ as much or as little as I please _when_ exactly I please, even if that time is _never_."

Aoi gasped. "It better not be never! I want Mikan-nee to be my big sister-in-law."

Ruka chortled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Aoi-chan."

Aoi smirked. "Well, there's not exactly an official term for 'older brother's girlfriend,' so just pretend that you know what I mean."

Unseen by Aoi and Ruka, Natsume frowned as he gazed down the trail ahead. "You two are being unusually bold. Why are you harassing me so openly today?"

Aoi smiled sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes and adding a healthy dose of sugary syrup to her voice. "I just want you to have the right foundation laid so that you can make significant progress next week."

"Next week?" Natsume muttered with his eyebrows knit together.

Aoi turned around to smile mischievously at Ruka, who smiled conspiratorially back at her. "Oh, Mikan-nee!" Aoi called out. Natsume stiffened in front of her, unsure of what his little sister was about to say. "Did I mention that Okaa-san is taking me back to Tokyo next week?"

"Eh?" Mikan called up to her. "This is the first I've heard of it. Are you going for your week at Nobara-chan's house?" Ibaragi Nobara was Aoi's best friend. She was a sweet, quieter girl with dazzling ice blue eyes and silvery blue hair that fell in soft curls around her pretty face. Aoi always spent one week each summer at her friend's home in Tokyo since the one time that Nobara had come to visit Makikawa a number of years ago hadn't been a huge success. Nobara was weak against too much heat and sunlight, which kept her from participating in many outdoor activities.

"Yep!" Aoi replied loudly so that Mikan could hear her. "We're going home Saturday and won't get back until the following Saturday."

"Okay, thanks for the heads up. Say hi to her for me!" Mikan asked with a broad smile.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Ruka joined the conversation as casually as possible, his eyes riveted on the back of Natsume's head as he spoke. "Actually, Mikan-chan, that reminds me that I need to tell you something, too. My dad has business in Hong Kong next week and my mom has some time off between film shoots, so Saki-san is escorting Hotaru and I there to visit them next week. We'll be gone the same days as Aoi-chan and Kaoru-san."

As if on cue, Aoi grinned. "Really? Gee, what a shame that our travel plans overlap. Guess that means it'll just be you and Onii-chan for the _whole week_ , Mikan-nee. I'm sorry that we're all leaving you two _alone_ like this." Several horses behind her, Hotaru rolled her eyes at the tween's ill-disguised glee.

"It's okay, Aoi-chan! I'll miss you guys, but I'm sure that Natsume and I can occupy ourselves for a week. I'm glad you're getting to spend some time with your parents this summer, Ruka-pyon!" Mikan responded cheerfully, oblivious to the subtle exchange taking place between her friends.

Natsume was sorely tempted to turn around and glare at his scheming friends, but resisted the urge. So that's what his sister had been referring to. He'd known, of course, that his mom and sister were going back to Tokyo for the week, but the others' travel arrangements were news to him. He was sure that his mother would have mentioned it to him if she'd known, so this must be a recent development. He could feel the satisfaction radiating from Ruka and Aoi behind him. _Bakas,_ he thought exasperatedly.

When she was sure that Mikan was wrapped up in a conversation with Hotaru again, Aoi quietly told her brother, "I expect to hear good news when I get back in town, Onii-chan."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Prepare to be disappointed." He found their interest and attempted interference with his love life both irritating and amusing. Silently though, he couldn't help mulling over the news that he would have Mikan all to himself for a week, which had never happened before in all their years vacationing in Makikawa.

Twenty minutes later, the group made it back to the Ono's gray barn. Ono-san and Hisato were working nearby and saw them approach. "Everything all right there?" the farmer called.

Mikan smiled. "Nikko threw a shoe."

"Ah," Ono-san nodded. "I'm not surprised. I noticed her hooves have been getting soft recently. Hisato-kun," he turned to his son, "help me remember to increase Nikko's hoof supplements on the vitamin log."

"Yes, sir," Hisato answered as he helped Aoi down from behind Natsume's saddle.

The group walked their horses into the barn's small side paddock where they helped strip them and put away their tackle, the boys handling the heavy saddles while the girls carried the bridles, reins, and saddle pads. When they'd finished, they each grabbed an apple from a large basket hanging inside the barn. After feeding the horses their special treat, the group watched as Gou, Kamen, Kaze, and Suikazura made their way into the grazing pasture through a gate held open by Ono-san. Hisato led Nikko by a lead into the barn.

"Are you going to replace her shoe now?" Aoi asked.

"Yep, the sooner, the better," Ono-san answered.

"Would it be okay if we watched?" she asked brightly.

"Why, certainly," he agreed with a broad smile.

Mikan and Aoi followed Hisato into the barn, but Ruka stopped to ask Ono-san, "Did the goat give birth yet?"

The farmer grinned. "Sure did, two weeks ago. She had twins. You're welcome to go have a look. They're around back with the other goats and small livestock." Ruka thanked him excitedly before heading over to the small animals paddock with Hotaru and Natsume.

Mikan and Aoi sat on a bale of hay watching Ono-san and Hisato clean the bottom of Nikko's hoof. Aoi winced when they clipped and filed it. "Does that hurt her?"

"Not at all," Hisato assured her with a smile. "Horse hooves are just like human fingernails. This doesn't hurt her any more than getting your nails trimmed hurts you."

Since Nikko was only getting one shoe replaced, it didn't take long for the pair of farm hands to finish the job and send her off to join the other horses to graze. Hisato asked his father, "Otou-san, would it be alright for me to give Mikan-chan and Aoi-chan a bag of feed from the shed to take over to the small animals paddock?"

The girls grinned delightedly. "Ruka-pyon would love to feed them!" Mikan squealed.

Hisato smiled at her in amusement. "You know, in all the years I've known you, I've never actually asked why you call him 'Ruka-pyon.'"

She smiled. "Just because he loves animals so much. I don't remember which farm we were at, but the summer we met, we were playing with these baby chicks and he just looked so happy that I started calling him 'Ruka-pyon' and the name just stuck."

Ono-san smiled. "I've never seen a boy with such a natural affinity for animals. I was so sad to hear about Charlotte when you kids came by a few weeks ago. I'm sure that sweet dog left a huge hole in his heart. Go ahead and take the feed over. Three scoops from the blue barrel. The empty sacks are hanging just inside the door. Ruka-kun knows how and where to spread it." Turning to Hisato, he said, "The girls have been to the feed shed before. They shouldn't have any problems. Let's finish what we were working on before so that we can break for lunch soon."

"Thanks again, Ono-san!" the girls called as they parted ways in front of the barn. The feed shed was in the opposite direction of the small animals paddock, but it only took them a few minutes to reach it. Inside, they found exactly what they were looking for, a large blue barrel filled with small animal feed. After filling a burlap sack with three oversized scoops and securing the barrel's lid back in place, the girls left the shed to rejoin their friends. As they came around the shed's corner, a low, guttural growl stopped them in their tracks.

Mikan and Aoi stared nervously at the dog half a dozen feet away. The Ono family had a dog, but this one wasn't it and neither of them recognized it. The dog was hunched low with raised hackles, staring at them with its ears and tail standing up stiffly. Mikan recognized the signs of aggression, not fear, but what really caught her attention was the frothy drool around the animal's hanging jaw and its bloodshot eyes. Fear slicked her throat. Growing up in the country, there were certain things that you learned in school as a matter of safety, such as how to identify venomous snakes…

…and how to recognize the signs of rabies.

"What should we do?" Aoi whispered next to her.

There was no time to hesitate. The danger they were in and the unavoidable conclusion of this situation had been drilled into Mikan's head since she was small. She glanced around quickly, looking for something they could use to defend themselves. She saw a shovel leaning against the shed only a foot or two away. She grabbed Aoi's hand and whispered back, "You have to run, Aoi-chan, as fast as you can. Don't stop, don't look back. Ready? Go!"

As Aoi hurled herself away, Mikan snatched the shovel and threw herself between the rabid dog and her fleeing friend. The dog leapt with a fierce snarl. Though sorrow filled her heart, Mikan knew that she had to defend herself and her friend. With an agonized cry, she swung the shovel with all her might. There was a sickening crack, a dull thud, and the dog lay still.

Mikan took a shaky step back. She heaved a shuddering breath, the shovel falling from her trembling hands. Weakly, she stumbled and sat down hard. Through tear-filled eyes, she stared at the motionless creature. Breathing heavily, she crawled on her hands and knees to the dog's side. Her hands fluttered uselessly over its fur as her tears fell thickly down her cheeks. She bowed her head and wept over the fallen animal.

A minute later, she heard multiple sets of footsteps hurrying up the path behind her. "Mikan-chan!" a young male voice called out. Mikan's watery eyes widened in horror. _Ruka-pyon… Charlotte…_ Frantically, she shouted, "Stay back, Ruka-pyon!" Behind her, Ruka, Natsume, Ono-san, and Hisato slowed to a halt a short distance away. "Go away! Leave!" When she heard no further movement, she finally raised her head and looked back over her shoulder. Locking eyes with Ruka, she yelled desperately, _"Go!"_

Although Mikan's body blocked most of the dog from his view, Ruka could guess what had happened and what was going on in her head by her tear stained face, hurt filled voice, and panicked instructions directed only at him. He wanted to help, but knew that Mikan was trying to protect him and he didn't want to add to her sorrow. He looked solemnly at Natsume and told him softly, "I'll take the girls home."

Natsume nodded towards Mikan. "I'll stay with her." While Ruka headed back down the path to get Hotaru and Aoi, Ono-san pulled a cell phone from his pocket. Hisato watched silently as Natsume quietly approached Mikan.

Mikan felt Natsume's hands grip her shoulders. "Mikan…" he whispered. She ignored him, squeezing her eyes shut against her grief. "Ruka's gone. He won't see anything. Come on." Slowly, she let him help her to her feet. Natsume's eyes swept over her, checking for any bites or scratches and noting with relief that the few drops of blood on her hands and arms most likely wasn't hers. When she lifted her eyes to his and he saw the pain and tears there, he pulled her against him tightly, not caring if the bits of blood stained his shirt. Held securely by someone she trusted, Mikan sobbed openly, leaning heavily into his embrace.

Natsume continued to hold her close after she quieted a few minutes later. After whispering something to Hisato, Ono-san stepped up and informed them, "Yoshida-sensei is on his way. Thankfully, he was nearby, so it shouldn't take him long to get here. He'll need to see you when he gets here, Mikan-chan, but he said that you could go ahead and wash up." Mikan nodded as she stepped away from Natsume. The two friends made their way back to the barn where there was a utility sink. They both washed their hands and arms thoroughly with soap and water. As they were finishing, Hisato appeared wearing rubber gloves and carrying a spray bottle. He smiled kindly at his kohai before he began to sanitize the sink. They couldn't take any chances that the rabies would spread to the farm animals.

By the time Mikan and Natsume returned to the feed shed, an older gentleman was pulling up in a small car. Yoshida-sensei had been the town's only veterinarian for many years. He and Ono-san bowed briefly to each other as he approached. The old man smiled sympathetically at Mikan. "Hello, miko-chan."

Mikan managed a small smile. "Hello, Yoshida-sensei." Although Mikan didn't have any pets, she knew the kind old man from the presentations on animal safety that he gave at the school each year and from his faithful attendance at the temple's festivals and events.

The group was silent as the experienced vet kneeled down next to the dog's body and opened his satchel. He pulled out a small tube, unscrewed the cap, and swabbed the dog's blood. After reinserting the swab into the tube, he screwed on the cap and shook it. A few seconds later, the bit of liquid in the bottom of the tube turned a dark shade of purple, almost black.

Yoshida-sensei sighed. He turned to Ono-san. "I'll take care of the body. You'll need to burn the ground here; just the immediate area will do. That shovel will have to be bleached. Keep a close eye on your animals over the next week or two. Call me immediately if any of them show symptoms." He turned to Mikan. "Was anyone injured?"

Mikan shook her head silently. The old man smiled kindly. "Could you get your grandfather on the phone for me, please?"

Mikan nodded and pulled out her cell phone. Her grandfather didn't have one, so she called their landline. He answered after the second ring. "Hello, Makikawa Temple, Sakura Nonno speaking."

"It's me, Jii-chan. I'm still at the Ono farm. Yoshida-sensei is here and would like to speak with you."

"Oh, Naoki-kun? Put him on, put him on."

Mikan handed the phone to Yoshida-sensei. "Hello, Nonno-kun?... Yes, I'm good. How are you today?... I'm glad. Listen, there's been a spot of trouble. Your very brave granddaughter has had the misfortune of having to defend herself from a dog that I've just confirmed was infected with rabies. Although she's uninjured, I highly suggest putting her on a full round of PEP vaccine just to be safe. With your permission, I can go ahead and give her the first shot, then she'll need a series of boosters in 3, 7, and 14 days." He listened silently for a moment before saying, "Yes, I'm afraid so. No choice, of course, but not easy for a young girl." He glanced at Mikan. "I'll write it up when I get back to the clinic. You can settle up whenever you like. Thank you, Nonno-kun." He turned and handed the phone back to Mikan.

"Jii-chan?"

"My poor, sweet child," her grandfather's voice spoke gently. "I'm so sorry. I know that must have been terribly hard for you, dear. You have such a kind, tender heart. Yoshida-sensei is going to give you the rabies vaccine just in case. You're a very brave girl and I love you."

Tears filled Mikan's eyes and she felt herself choking up again as she whispered, "I love you, too, Jii-chan."

Beside her, Natsume whispered, "Let me talk to him." Nodding, Mikan handed him the phone. "Hello, Sakura-ojii-san?" Natsume said as he walked away to the far side of the feed shed for some privacy.

Ono-san assisted Yoshida-sensei with wrapping the dog in plastic and putting it in the back of the vet's car. When Hisato returned from sanitizing the utility sink, his father instructed him to do the same with the shovel. While Ono-san prepared to take care of the ground, Yoshida-sensei approached Mikan with a pack of alcohol wipes and a small syringe. He handed her the wipes and said, "I know that you already washed, but unfortunately, soap alone doesn't kill rabies, so use these to wipe any areas that might have come in contact with the dog's body fluids. I'm sorry to say that you'll need to either throw that shirt away or bleach it. I see a couple drops of blood on it." Mikan nodded. When she'd finished wiping down her hands and arms with the alcohol wipes, the old man smiled and asked, "How are you with shots, dear?"

"They don't bother me," she told him softly. He nodded, popped off the cap, and administered the shot in her upper shoulder. The sting wasn't bad at all and she didn't even need a bandage.

Yoshida-sensei sighed. "I always keep a few of these vaccines on hand. An infected bat probably flew down from the mountains and bit the dog. It didn't have a collar, so it was probably a stray." He gazed kindly at the teenage girl. "I know that what you had to do was difficult—not even I like to end an animal's life and I've had to many times—but you should know that you did the right thing. Nothing could have saved that poor creature and if it hadn't been caught, it could have passed the infection along to many others and eventually died very slowly and painfully. If it had been caught, I would have had to put it down myself. Ono-san told me that you were protecting your friend, Aoi-chan. You're a very brave young lady, Mikan-chan." Patting her head paternally, he encouraged her, "It's okay to feel sad, but don't feel guilty."

Mikan nodded silently as she stared at the ground. She knew that he was right, but justification wasn't going to erase her pain. She grieved the death of the dog who hadn't had any control over itself and she grieved her own fate as its executioner.

Natsume had been standing behind her silently for several minutes and chose that moment to step forward. "Thank you, Yoshida-sensei." Turning to Mikan, he handed her cell phone to her and asked, "Would you like to go home or to the vacation house? Your grandfather said that you can spend the night if you want. I thought maybe you could use the distraction." Mikan nodded. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with her thoughts and feelings.

After thanking Yoshida-sensei, Ono-san, and Hisato, the two friends walked quietly back past the barn and out to the long dirt road. Natsume watched her out of the corner of his eye. She looked so morose without her normal smile and with tears clinging to her eyelashes. He slipped his hand into hers and was relieved when she gripped it tightly. He hated seeing her so sad, but it would have been worse if she'd walled herself off.

Just as the vacation house came into view in the distance, Natsume broke the silence. "You underestimated Ruka, you know." Mikan looked at him in confusion as they walked. "He's not a child. He can handle the sight of a dead animal and he knows perfectly well that there's no cure for rabies once it's reached that stage. Yoshida-sensei was right, you had to defend yourself, and Aoi, too, and Ruka wouldn't blame you for that." He spoke gently, but his voice was firm, assuring her of the truth in his words. "Still," he met her gaze briefly, "I'm sure that you were thinking of Charlotte and wanted to protect him. I get that."

Mikan squeezed his hand.

When they reached the vacation house, their friends and their mothers were waiting for them on the front porch. When she spotted them, Kaoru-san rushed forward to pull Mikan into a warm hug. "Oh, sweetheart. Your grandfather called, and Aoi-chan and Ruka-kun told us everything. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, but I'm so glad that you girls are safe. Thank you for protecting Aoi-chan, Mikan-chan. You're such a good girl." Mikan instantly burst into tears again as Kaoru-san comfortingly patted her hair.

Natsume walked past them to check on Aoi. Her lips were trembling as she watched Mikan cry. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly. Aoi nodded. "Polka Dots is going to spend the night, so let's be sure to watch some lighthearted comedies and silly romances," he told her. That made Aoi smile.

"Okay," she whispered, blinking back her own tears. Looking up at her brother, she asked quietly, "She'll be okay, right?"

Natsume reached up to squeeze her shoulder as he followed her gaze back to their mutual friend. "Yeah, she will be."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I literally cried while writing that scene. It serves a purpose for the characters' growth and development, I promise! I don't just write about killing imaginary dogs for fun or something.

I honestly don't know if rabies is equally common in every country, so some of you may not be very familiar with it. All of the information I used is real except for the test that Yoshida-sensei performed. I made that up because in real life, the only way to test an animal for rabies is with a sample of the infected brain tissue. Everything else— the physical symptoms (including the hostile behavior), the danger, the treatment, the clean-up, and that there's no cure— was all accurate. Rabies is a virus transmitted through infected body fluids. The PEP vaccine is highly successful at preventing rabies even up to six days after exposure, but once symptoms have developed (which can happen immediately or weeks after exposure), it's always fatal in both animals and humans.

You can see the horses on this story's Pinterest page.


	8. Cross The Line

Chapter 8: Cross The Line

Saturday, July 2nd, 2016

Mikan hugged Hotaru tightly. "I'll miss you."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "It's _one week_. We normally don't see each other for _nine months_. This will seem like nothing."

Mikan leaned back and smiled at her best friend. "Say hi to Ren-san and Lina-san for me, please. Have fun in Hong Kong!"

Hotaru smirked, her eyes shining with some secret amusement. "Enjoy yourself while I'm gone and _behave_." Glancing down the steps leading from the front porch to the long driveway, she added, "I expect a full report of how you occupied yourself when I get back."

Below them, Ruka and Natsume stood next to the sleek black car parked in front of the vacation house. Saki-san was already in the back while Honzo-san sat ready and waiting in the driver's seat as the young people said their goodbyes. Ruka smiled pleasantly at his best friend. "Please don't waste this chance. At the very least, spend some time with her and figure things out. I swear, if we get back and I find out that you shut yourself in the house reading manga and playing video games the entire week without even seeing her, I will never speak to you again."

Natsume stared blandly back at him. "I won't lose any sleep over that threat."

"I'm serious," Ruka warned, though he was still smiling. "Don't think that this is all about you. I'm _positive_ that Mikan-chan has feelings for you, too, but she's not the type to act on it first and she shouldn't have to be."

Natsume sighed and looked Ruka in the eyes. "You should keep in mind that I care about the baka, too. Whether I choose to move things along with her or leave things be, it'll be because it's what I want a _nd_ what I think is best for her, too."

Ruka grinned. "Now _that_ I'll trust." Looking up, he saw Hotaru headed down the steps towards the car. He held the door open for her before sliding in next to her. He rolled down the window to throw Natsume one last mischievous grin. "Good luck!"

Natsume rolled his eyes, but offered his best friend a smile and a fist bump through the open window. "Good luck yourself." He headed back towards the house to stand next to Mikan on the front porch. The girl waved enthusiastically as the car began to pull away, shouting well wishes to her friends. She didn't drop her hand until the car had disappeared from view.

Mikan sighed. "Well, there go the rest of them." Aoi and Kaoru-san had left a couple hours earlier accompanied by two of the Hyuuga household staff, hoping to reach Tokyo by dinnertime.

Natsume nodded. His mother had offered for him to return to Tokyo with them after finding out that Ruka, Hotaru, and Saki-san would also be gone. When he'd told her that he'd rather just stay in Makikawa for the week, she'd smiled and told him that was fine with her. There were plenty of staff left to run the house anyway. She simply asked that he let someone know when he came and went, and asked him to call or text her as usual if he needed anything.

Mikan flashed him a smile. "I guess I'll head home then."

"Okay," Natsume answered simply. Mikan skipped down the steps and waved cheerfully at him over her shoulder. He watched her silently for a minute before heading inside. He'd already worked out that morning and they'd just had lunch a short while ago, so he headed upstairs to relax with a manga or a video game.

Natsume spent the entire afternoon and evening that way, intent on not completely giving in to the expectations of his friends and his little sister. After all, he was Hyuuga Natsume and he didn't like to be manipulated. He preferred to do what he wanted, when he wanted. If he happened to think about Mikan and wonder what she was doing, he simply shoved the thoughts aside. He had plenty to do without her, so getting together with her could wait. Besides, she didn't come by or try to reach him on his cell phone, so she was probably busy, too.

He lasted one day.

Sunday evening after dinner, he shoved a manga in his back pocket, let Komaki-san know that he was leaving, and headed for the temple. The sky was overcast, making it feel later than it really was. When he arrived, the main courtyard was deserted and no one answered the door when he knocked. Following the gravel path, he found Sakura-ojii-san tending his herb garden. The old priest looked up when he heard Natsume approach and smiled broadly.

"Well, hello there, Natsume-kun. How are you this evening?

Natsume nodded. "I'm well, sir, and you?"

Sakura-ojii-san chuckled. "My old bones can feel the rain coming." He tilted his head behind him and said, "Mikan-chan is practicing her archery if you'd like to join her."

Natsume's face noticeably relaxed. "Thank you, sir."

Sakura-ojii-san nodded, watching the teenage boy continue down the path. It pleased him immensely that his dear granddaughter had caught the eye of such a fine young man, but he knew Natsume well enough to keep his thoughts to himself. He chuckled softly as he remembered Yuka and Izumi's budding romance in their younger days.

Natsume turned the corner at the back of the temple in time to see Mikan's arrow thud securely into the inner ring of one of half-a-dozen targets at the far end of the small archery range. According to Mikan, it was rarely used for competitions, but since she occasionally had to fire an arrow as part of a ceremony or special event, she practiced there when she had the time. She paid him no notice as he ascended the steps to the archery dojo. He sat on the wooden floor of the wide room with his back to the wall and pulled out his manga. He watched as Mikan notched another arrow. She must have been taking her practice rather seriously since she'd bothered to dress in her traditional practice uniform comprised of a white short-sleeved keiko-gi and navy blue hakama tied with an obi, and white split-toed socks called "tabi" on her feet. She stood in front of an entire wall of sliding doors that stood completely open, revealing the practice targets outside.

They passed the time quietly as Mikan practiced and Natsume alternated between reading his manga and watching her. After Mikan had shot all of her arrows and retrieved them three times, she set down her bow and stretched out on her back in the middle of the dojo floor like a starfish.

"Uh! That is _so_ much harder than it looks."

Natsume smirked. "Your face looks funny when you concentrate that hard."

Mikan leaned her head back to stick her tongue out at him. "It's not the same as dancing. I can do _big_ movements—things that use my whole body or at least my arms and legs—but I stink at detailed stuff. I'm not like Hotaru; she's good with her hands and I'm just… _not._ "

Natsume shut his manga, set it on the floor beside him, and stood up. "You're actually a pretty good shot."

Mikan snorted. "Yeah, because I'm focusing like my life depends on it." She watched from the floor as Natsume picked up her bow, notched an arrow, and let it fly. It hit the third ring from the center of her practice target. Mikan growled lightly. "See? You just basically scored my average shot and I'll bet that I practice 10 times more than you!"

Natsume set down the bow and moved to sit next to her. "Some people are better at gross motor skills, some people are better at fine motor skills. You're better at gross and Imai is better at fine."

Mikan raised an eyebrow at him. "So which are you?"

Natsume smirked. "I'm good at both."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Of course you are." She stretched. "Well, at least my fine motor skills are good enough to cook with." She stood up. "I'm going to get a snack. I'll be right back."

Natsume retrieved his arrow while Mikan fetched a couple of cold water bottles and a bento from the kitchen. The two sat on the edge of the dojo watching the dark, cloudy sky as Mikan opened up the bento.

"I made this for Jii-chan to have while he was out yesterday, but a family ended up treating him to lunch, so he didn't need it. It'll go to waste if it doesn't get eaten," she explained.

Natsume eyed the assortment of foods with amusement. "Why'd you cut his apples like bunnies and his sausages like octopus? He's a grown man, Polka Dots."

Mikan smiled brightly. "I thought it'd be cute." She picked up one of the apple bunnies and took a bite.

Natsume ate an octopus sausage off the end of a pick, then used the pick to skewer a piece of bacon-wrapped asparagus. He hummed appreciatively as he chewed. "Not bad, Polka Dots."

She giggled. "Anything with bacon makes you happy." She looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, I could probably sprinkle cayenne on those to make them spicy."

Natsume raised his eyebrows. "Now _that_ sounds good."

When they'd finished most of the bento, Mikan snapped the lid back on and set it aside. She leaned back on her hands as she stared out across the archery range in the ever darkening twilight. Suddenly, she leaned forward and grabbed Natsume's arm while she pointed with her other hand. "Look, Natsume! Fireflies!"

Sure enough, tiny yellow glows could be seen lighting up and disappearing again here and there. Natsume smirked. _The baka is so easily amused…_

Mikan turned to him with a grin. "Do you remember when we were nine and we had that firefly catching contest? We all thought we were doing so well—"

"—until Imai showed us her jar," Natsume interrupted, shaking his head at the memory. He could still remember it because of how surprised they'd all been that Hotaru had quietly caught so many more of the bugs than the rest of them and they hadn't even noticed. The look on Ruka's face had been priceless. Mikan, of course, had been thoroughly impressed and had excitedly congratulated Hotaru on her victory.

Mikan laughed. "She really is amazing. Ruka-pyon looked so scandalized that someone had beaten him at a contest involving animals."

Natsume snorted. "Bugs shouldn't count as animals."

"They do to Ruka-pyon."

Natsume smirked, knowing that she was right.

Mikan smiled. _It's nice having Natsume around,_ she thought warmly. "So," she began as she leaned back on her hands again, "do you want to do something tomorrow?"

Natsume shrugged nonchalantly. "Do you have something in mind?" He didn't mention that he'd been hoping to spend the next day with her anyway.

"The forecast says it's not supposed to rain until tomorrow evening, so I was thinking about going for a hike in the morning. I haven't been all the way to the top in ages."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow at her. "That's at least a four hour hike there and back. What time do you want to head out?"

Mikan hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe 7 so that we can avoid the heat? Since Hotaru's not here, we can start early."

Natsume nodded. "I'll be here at 7 then."

Mikan grinned. "Great! It's a date." Her choice of words made Natsume's heart skip a beat and he mentally scolded himself for his involuntary reaction.

The next morning, Natsume met Mikan at the temple at 7 a.m. as promised. The sky was still heavily clouded, providing a nice break from the summer sunshine as the two friends made their way up the rocky, wooded slopes of the central mountain. As predicted, it took them just under two hours to make it to the top. The view was positively spectacular and Mikan insisted that they snap a picture together on her phone to show their friends. The climb down took a bit longer. Along the way, they saw several Sika deer, a fox, two raccoon dogs, a Japanese serow with its baby, and countless woodland critters including birds, bats, squirrels, hares, and even a weasel. Although Natsume wasn't nearly as much of an animal person as Ruka, he enjoyed Mikan's enthusiasm; she'd lived in this area her entire life, yet she still got so excited when she spotted the native wildlife. She nearly melted when they spotted the baby serow with its mother.

They were both sweaty and tired when they reached the valley. Since the temple was closer than the vacation house, they headed there for lunch. As they ate, Sakura-ojii-san listened delightedly to Mikan recounting their hike and the various creatures they'd encountered. Natsume chimed in here and there, but left most of the talking to Mikan. After lunch, Mikan took a quick shower before changing into her swim suit, shorts, and a tank top. When Natsume saw what she was wearing, he cocked an eyebrow and asked her, "Are you planning on swimming?"

Mikan smiled. "I thought it might be nice since it gets so hot in the afternoons." Natsume nodded. In his mind, he wondered what exactly they would do swimming alone together. He honestly couldn't remember if it had ever happened before.

As they walked to the vacation house, they noticed that the wind had picked up strongly and the clouds had grown even darker and heavier while they'd been at the temple. By the time the house came into view, they could see lightning over the ocean in the distance. They made it inside just as the first raindrops began to fall.

"Well, so much for swimming," Mikan sighed as she looked out the window. "I guess the forecast was wrong."

"Good thing we were off the mountain before this hit," Natsume commented as he stood next to her watching the rain.

Mikan nodded. "Yeah, you don't want to be caught up there in weather like this."

Natsume glanced at her. "Isn't that how you broke your arm a few years ago?"

Mikan smiled nostalgically. "Yep. I was 11 and my class went for a hike together on a Saturday. We weren't even halfway up the mountain when the rain started falling unexpectedly. The teachers would have rescheduled if the forecast had mentioned the possibility of rain, but it swept in so suddenly that we had no warning. I slipped on a rock and fell." She turned to him with a grin. "The whole class signed my cast. It was awesome."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, I think your optimism borders on delusional."

Mikan bumped his shoulder playfully. "It's better than being gloomy and cynical." Walking past him, she headed for the stairs. "So what do you want to do? Watch something, read, play a game…?"

Natsume followed her up the staircase. "I'm going to take a quick shower first and change, then let's watch something. What are you in the mood for?"

Mikan clicked her tongue. "How about an anime? We mostly watched movies weekend before last and then again on Monday after… well, after I killed that dog," she trailed off quietly. Natsume watched her expression fall slightly. Their sleepover that night had worked well at distracting her, but he knew that it would always be a bad memory for her. He chose not to comment, knowing that there was nothing new that he could say. Mikan knew that she'd done what she'd had to do, but she still felt awful about taking a life, even the life of an animal.

Natsume continued on with the main conversation. "Have you seen _The Devil is a Part-Timer!_? That's the next short series that I was going to watch. Koko said it was good."

Mikan glanced at him skeptically. "Is it a supernatural horror show?"

Natsume snorted. "If it was, I wouldn't have suggested it."

"Okay, okay! I just heard the word 'devil' and wanted to make sure."

"It's a comedy."

Mikan smiled. "That sounds great."

It didn't take long for Natsume to get cleaned up while Mikan waited in the home theater. The pair set up the anime on the projector screen and got comfortable on the couch. Natsume thought that the first episode was pretty funny, but noticed that Mikan wasn't laughing the way she normally would. He subtly watched her face as they began the second episode. Her expression was impassive, almost uncomfortable, and Natsume found himself suddenly wondering if the anime had nothing to do with her unusual behavior.

 _Is she nervous sitting here alone with me? Is she really that uncomfortable?_ Natsume's thoughts baffled and frustrated him. He just couldn't comprehend what was so drastically different about being alone on a couch watching TV than spending time alone together anywhere else. When they made it halfway through the second episode without Mikan saying a word, he suddenly picked up the remote and clicked the pause button. Turning to Mikan, he asked bluntly, "What's wrong?"

Mikan blinked at him. "Huh?"

Natsume frowned. "You're being quiet. You're never quiet when we watch TV. What's wrong?"

Her answer both surprised and relieved him. "My neck hurts," Mikan admitted sheepishly. "Actually, my shoulders and back are bothering me, too. I'm not sure what I did, but they're really uncomfortable." She winced as she lifted a hand to squeeze the tight flesh between her neck and shoulder.

Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "Were they bothering you while we were hiking?" He reached a hand out to finger her neck, searching for knots.

"No, that's just it, I felt fine all the way until I got out of the shower, but now I'm all achy and my head hurts." She grimaced when Natsume's fingers hit a sore spot. He slid closer to her so that he could use both hands to search the area.

"Damn, Polka Dots, no wonder you're sore. Your muscles are super tight. Were you paying attention to your posture when you practiced last night? Or did you sleep funny?" Mikan shook her head slightly. "Well, whatever you did, I'm sure climbing a mountain didn't help," he remarked dryly. "Put your hair up." After Mikan put her long hair up in a simple messy bun, he nudged her forward so that she was sitting closer to the edge of the couch, giving him enough room to sit behind her. He clicked the play button on the remote before slowly working his thumbs into the knots around her neck. Mikan hissed quietly now and then whenever he found an especially painful spot. By the end of the episode, he was ready to move beyond her neck.

"Take your shirt off."

Mikan slowly turned around to glare at him suspiciously with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. Natsume rolled his eyes at her. "You're wearing your swim suit underneath, right? I can't massage your back and shoulders as well through your shirt. It slides around too much."

"Fine, but that sounded really perverted," she muttered. She pulled her shirt off and tossed it onto the couch next to them as the third episode began. Natsume smirked as he continued to work out her tension. She was right, it had sounded perverted, but he'd been honest about his motives. Of course, that didn't stop him from enjoying himself while he was at it. He'd seen her in her bikini top numerous times, but he didn't often get to touch her so much. This close to her, he could smell the scent of her shampoo coming off of her freshly washed hair, a robust mix of raspberries and tangerines. Since she couldn't see his face, he openly smiled at how _her_ it was.

Natsume kept at it through the third episode. When he shifted her swim suit straps off her shoulders, Mikan tensed, but when all he did was massage the tight flesh they'd been covering, she relaxed again. _Trust Natsume to be so bold,_ she thought, blushing lightly. Truth be told, the longer Natsume massaged her, the more she began to relax and enjoy it. At first, it was painful as he worked out each individual knot, but now that he was past that point, his movements felt soothing and her headache was almost completely gone. It never ceased to amaze her how incredibly _warm_ his hands always felt. As they slowly rubbed, squeezed, and pushed away the tension in her back, neck, and shoulders, Mikan thought she wouldn't mind this lasting forever. Natsume's touch was lulling her into a euphoric state as the fourth episode of the anime played across the projector screen.

When he was finished, Natsume slid her bikini straps back into place, picked up the remote, and clicked the pause button. "How's that, Polka Dots? Feel better?"

Mikan's mind was pleasantly hazy. She felt wonderful, completely comfortable, and full of warmth, gratitude, and affection for Natsume. Being more of a feeler than a thinker, in her relaxed state, she did exactly what she felt like doing, without question or hesitation.

She turned to Natsume, took his face in both of her hands, and kissed him full on the mouth.

Natsume froze in shock, his eyes wide. The two seconds that it took his mind to catch up with what was happening were enough for Mikan's mind to catch up, too. The same instant that he relaxed, her eyes flew open and she jerked away from him, her hands hovering in mid-air as if she were preparing to surrender. She stared at him horrified. "I am _so sorry_." For a split-second, Natsume's heart froze in his chest. "I shouldn't have done that without permission. I am _so, so_ sorry. I can't _believe_ I just did that without asking first…"

Relief swept over him that she was panicking because she hadn't asked his permission first, not because she hadn't actually wanted to kiss him. Natsume rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Polka Dots," he said before pressing his lips against hers, one arm winding its way around her waist while his other hand gently held the side of her neck, his thumb resting on her jaw line. Mikan's reaction was similar to his; she froze in surprise for two heartbeats before her stiffness melted away. She closed her eyes and let her hands come to rest on his shoulders.

They kissed quietly for over a minute. Neither of them had ever done this before, so their kisses were light and experimental, each of them savoring the sensation of their lips against one another, enjoying the taste and the closeness and the mix of exhilaration in their chests and nerves in the pit of their stomachs. When they drew away from each other, Natsume saw hesitation reflected in Mikan's amber eyes. "Was that okay?" he asked her softly.

Mikan nodded, her cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink. "Was it okay for you?" she asked timidly and Natsume recognized that her anxiety came from wondering what he thought. He gazed back at her solemnly.

"It was okay for me, too. More than okay."

Mikan's blush darkened and the corners of her lips twitched as if she were trying hard not to smile. She quickly turned around to face the projector screen again. Natsume moved out from behind her to resume his original position on the couch. He picked up the remote and pressed the play button as Mikan put on her shirt and pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs. As the opening theme began to play, she glanced at Natsume. "Did we really just kiss?"

Natsume nodded once, keeping his eyes firmly on the screen. Mikan grinned. "I can't believe we just kissed! That was my first, you know."

"Mine, too," Natsume replied calmly.

Mikan's jaw dropped. She pressed her hands to her cheeks. "Oh, Natsume, I'm so sorry—"

" _Don't,"_ Natsume warned her seriously, turning to look at her steadily. "Don't spoil it, Polka Dots. I did exactly what I wanted to do, regardless of who started it."

His firm reassurance eased her guilty conscience and warmed her heart. She smiled at him and softly said, "Okay." As her eyes returned to the screen, she still couldn't help thinking, _We just kissed. Natsume and I just kissed!_ She hadn't planned it or expected it, but she was glad that it had happened because right now, she felt overwhelmingly happy. There were dozens of butterflies ricocheting around her insides and her lips felt almost _tingly_ from their kisses.

Beside her, Natsume's calm exterior was perfectly masking that inside, his mind was reeling. He could feel his pulse thrumming through his veins. _I just kissed Sakura Mikan… and she kissed me first._ He was in serious danger of outright grinning. He glanced at Mikan. She was smiling broadly as she watched the anime. Natsume reached his arm around her, pulled her against his side, and allowed himself to smile. Mikan snuggled beside him happily.

Neither of them mentioned their shared kisses throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. They continued to lounge in front of the TV, eventually asking Futaka-san to send up a pizza for dinner, as the storm raged on outside. When it finally let up shortly after 8, Mikan announced that she should try to get home while she could. Natsume asked Ikeda-san, a young man in his mid-twenties who served primarily as one of the Hyuuga's drivers, to take them back to the temple so that they could avoid the wet ground. When the car stopped in front of the temple gate, Mikan smiled at him as Ikeda-san got out of the car and came around to open her door for her. "I had fun today."

Natsume nodded. "Me, too." He felt the urge to lean forward and kiss her goodnight well up inside him, but he lost his chance in the moment that he hesitated. Mikan was out of the car, thanking Ikeda-san, and calling "Goodnight!" to him over her shoulder before he'd made up his mind.

As Ikeda-san drove him home, Natsume closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. He knew that they'd crossed a line today and his mother had always warned him that once you cross a line, it's very difficult to go back and very easy to be tempted forward. He sighed deeply. He needed to do some serious thinking. He couldn't afford to be as driven by his emotions as Mikan was by hers, but he didn't want to completely give up on his feelings for her either. As he replayed his long day with her in his mind from their small adventure hiking the mountain to their relaxed afternoon on the couch to their very first kiss, in his heart, he couldn't deny that he longed for more days like today…

…days with Sakura Mikan.

An hour later, Natsume lay in bed reading a manga when his cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he set his book aside and answered it. "Hi, Okaa-san."

"Hey, hon! I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. How's Makikawa?"

"Rainy," he answered. "How's Tokyo?"

"It hasn't changed," his mother told him. "You should have seen Aoi-chan and Nobara-chan reunite yesterday. You'd think they hadn't seen each other in a year instead of just five weeks. Yoichi-kun was there when I dropped her off. He asked me to say 'hi' to you."

"Of course he did," Natsume said, sounding pleased. Hijiri Yoichi was one of Aoi and Nobara's closest friends. He'd always idolized Natsume and Natsume in turn had taken a real shine to the boy over the years. He was a good kid, similar to Natsume in a lot of ways. Most importantly, he really cared about Aoi and stood by her, which had earned him more respect and acceptance from Natsume than his personality alone ever could.

"How's Otou-san?" Natsume continued.

"Oh, you know your father. He's buried under work, but he just keeps smiling and plugging along," Kaoru-san told her son. Natsume smiled at the familiar affection in his mother's voice when she talked about his father. "How's Mikan-chan?" she asked.

Natsume's eyebrows drew together as he stared at his bedroom ceiling and slid his free hand under his head. The girl had been at the front of his mind since they'd parted ways earlier and he'd ended up trying to distract himself with his manga after his thoughts got him nowhere. He decided to answer his mother honestly, but simply. "She's fine. We went for a hike this morning and she came over to watch TV today."

"Uh-huh," Kaoru-san answered, her voice laced with suspicion. "You definitely paused before answering that question. What's up? Is everything okay between you and my second daughter?"

Natsume grimaced. "I'm glad you love her, but I'm _very_ glad that she's not my sister."

" _Oh?"_ his mother asked and Natsume could have smacked himself when he heard the pleased and interested tone enter her voice. Even without seeing her, he could imagine the look on her face, complete with raised eyebrows and a wide grin. "And why would it bother you if she were your sister?"

Natsume sighed, neatly caught. He knew better than to try to pull the wool over his mother's eyes, and frankly, he knew that she wouldn't be at all surprised by his feelings for the baka. He could still remember the way that she'd grinned and pointed out to her close friend, Saki-san, that he and Mikan were holding hands at the end of the Summer Solstice Festival a couple weeks ago.

"Because it would make my feelings for her really awkward."

"And what feelings are those?"

Natsume couldn't help hesitating. He'd never been great at discussing his emotions even with his mom, but if he was going to open up to someone and get their advice on this situation, she would definitely be the person he'd choose. Ruka was his best friend, but Natsume already knew his stance on the matter and it hadn't helped him make any decisions. His mom, on the other hand, was a knowledgeable and experienced adult who had more than earned his trust and respect throughout the years. She also knew both of them and was familiar with his life back home in Tokyo.

A bit unsure of himself, Natsume spoke softly and slowly into the phone. "I like her, Okaa-san… a lot... more than any other girl..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "But I can't be with her and I just… I want to be, but it's not possible. I've thought about it over and over and I just can't see a way to make it work, but I hate the idea of giving up without even trying—giving _her_ up without even trying. Being this close to her…" He paused, surprised by the painful tightening sensation in his chest. "Being this close to her without knowing where exactly we're trying to go is driving me crazy."

"Okay, tell me two things," his mother spoke up when his silence told her that he was finished. "Firstly, why are you so sure that you two can't be together?"

Natsume answered without hesitation. "I can't move here and she can't move to Tokyo. Even if she could, can you imagine dragging Polka Dots into our world? Can you really see the baka putting on airs and dealing with all of the _politics?_ Always having to watch herself, always trying not to step on the wrong toes, preserve the right relationships, maintain the right image? All of the manners and the expectations… She's so far above all of that… _stuff_ , I just can't imagine her conforming to it all. I don't _want_ to imagine her conforming to it." His voice had grown stronger, revealing his conviction. "She'd either get eaten alive or lose herself completely and end up feeling like a bird in a cage."

"Hmm…" his mother hummed skeptically. "I think you underestimate her in that regard, so let's scale back to your first point. I get why you can't move there, but when you say that she _can't_ move here, what do you really mean?"

Natsume frowned, considering her question. "I guess I mean that she _wouldn't_ move to Tokyo. She loves Makikawa."

His curiosity peaked when his mother chuckled. "Again, I think you underestimate her. She does love her home, but she also has a bright, adventurous spirit. Have you ever asked her what her plans are for after high school?"

Natsume snorted. "Knowing her, she probably hasn't even thought about it."

"Exactly. You don't know if she'll stay in Makikawa or go off to college somewhere (maybe even Tokyo) or what she'll do, and neither does she. While you have a very clearly defined future ahead of you, Mikan-chan's future isn't like that. She's not the heir to a major corporation requiring a very specific educational background. She can do anything she wants, so who's to say that she can't or won't end up in Tokyo someday? I can understand your concern—and it's very thoughtful of you to consider her feelings—but I don't think it's wise to completely eliminate your chances of being together based on something so uncertain."

Her words hit Natsume harder than he'd expected. She sounded so confident, straightforward, and rational. He'd been so sure of himself in thinking that Mikan would simply never leave Makikawa, but in less than a minute, his mother had completely shattered his assumption.

"Okay," he accepted her assurance for now. "What's your second question?"

"You mentioned wanting to know where the two of you are trying to go. If I'm wrong, correct me, but I took that to mean that you want to know if the two of you are headed towards friendship or more than friendship. So my question is 'Why do you need to know that in advance?' Why can't you just explore your feelings for each other and see where things go?"

Natsume blinked. "Because you and Otou-san taught me to always think ahead to the outcomes and consequences of my actions."

Kaoru-san laughed. "Touché! But Natsume-kun, this is where Mikan-chan is truly a special case. You're right, if we were talking about one of the girls at your school here in Tokyo, you'd have to be more cautious. You'd have to really know what you're getting yourself into before moving beyond just friendship—who her parents are, what their family and business' connections are to HDI and/or its associates, how you behave with each other in certain social circles, etc.—but Mikan and Makikawa are separate from all of that. She's just a girl, a being in and unto herself, without any ties or connections to Tokyo high society that you have to take into account." Her voice held a twinge of some strange emotion that Natsume couldn't identify when she made that statement, but he didn't say anything as she continued.

"You don't have to watch your every move in Makikawa the way you do here. That's one of the reasons that your father and I have made it such a priority for you and Aoi-chan to spend your summers there, to get away from Tokyo for a couple months each year so that you can both just be kids for awhile, un-scrutinized by the people around you. That's even truer for you this week without the rest of us there with you. You have a rare chance to test the waters with Mikan-chan, to open yourself up to her and just see where things go without anyone else's eyes on you. This is just my advice and you're free to take it or leave it, but I think that your best option is to just let loose, stop worrying, and enjoy being with the girl you like. Who knows what you'll discover? You might not like her as much as you think you do, or alternatively, you might find that she's worth facing any obstacle to be with. Maybe she likes you back and maybe she doesn't. No matter what happens, at least you won't be left with the regret of never trying to find out."

Natsume was speechless. His mom had literally just told him to set all of his worries and anxiety aside and just go with it. He almost wanted to laugh. She really was amazing.

"So I should just go with it?" His expression cleared into a bemused smile as the heavy sensation in his chest was replaced by warmth.

He could hear the smile in his mother's voice. "Just go with it, son."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Pictures of a traditional female archery uniform, Japanese archery dojo, and some of the animals they saw while hiking are on the Chapter 8 board of the _This Is High School_ Pinterest page.


	9. Just We Two

**Author's Note:** The Chapter 9 inspiration board on Pinterest is now up! Sorry, I forgot to post it when I published the chapter this morning. It was 3 a.m. where I live, so it slipped my mind. :)

* * *

Chapter 9: Just We Two

Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

The next morning, Natsume woke up feeling incredibly light. His conversation with his mother had changed his perspective and he felt a freedom regarding Mikan that he hadn't before. Even if it was only for the remainder of the week, he was going to take his mother's advice and fully enjoy his time with Mikan while they didn't have so many interested pairs of eyes and ears observing their every move.

With high hopes for the day ahead, Natsume threw on a set of workout clothes, stopped by the kitchen for a light breakfast, then headed to the home gym to exercise. He was almost through with his workout when his cell phone rang. He smiled at the caller ID before answering. "Morning, Polka Dots."

"It's not raining! Let's take the boat out!"

Natsume grinned. "Okay. Half-an-hour?"

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

After enlisting Ikeda-san to take them out on the speed boat, Natsume changed into his black swim trunks and went outside to wait for Mikan. She came prancing around the side of the house and onto the beach just as Ikeda-san walked out the front door carrying a small cooler full of water bottles. The trio headed for the boathouse where Mikan transferred the water bottles into the speed boat's built-in cooler while Ikeda-san ran a boat check and Natsume selected an inflatable from the small collection inside the boathouse. Since it was just him and Mikan today, he chose one just big enough for two people. When they'd each finished their task, they all grabbed life vests and strapped them on.

"Would you prefer to drive today, Natsume-sama?" Ikeda-san asked when they were all set.

"In a while, but not right now," Natsume answered as he took a seat next to Mikan.

Ikeda-san nodded and guided the boat out from under the dock's awning. Mikan bounced in her seat next to Natsume, grinning in anticipation. The teenage boy smirked at her excitement. They hadn't taken the speed boat out since before the Summer Solstice Festival and it always made for a great time.

The sky overhead was still as gray and overcast as it had been yesterday as Ikeda-san slowly guided the boat away from the beach. Once they passed the buoy, he increased their speed until they were zipping across the water heading towards an open area that avoided most of the traffic from local fishing vessels. Mikan squealed as the boat bounced over a few small waves. Natsume had to admit, her enthusiasm was infectious, making activities more fun for the people around her. It was one of her charms.

When Ikeda-san stopped the boat, Natsume and Mikan hauled the inflatable over the boat's stern, checked the rope and attachments, then climbed on top. The inflatable that Natsume had chosen was round and flat with handles positioned around the top edge. They lay next to each other on their stomachs and tightly gripped the handles. When they were securely situated, Ikeda-san gave the inflatable a shove. When it had drifted far enough away from the boat to avoid the propeller, he restarted the engine and slowly drove away until the line was taut.

Mikan grinned at Natsume and asked, "Are you ready?"

He smirked. "More ready than you."

Ikeda-san quickly picked up speed. Mikan laughed delightedly as she and Natsume glided over the water's surface. Even Natsume was grinning as the boat took a wide turn, swinging the inflatable around so that the two teens had to pull against the handles to keep from being thrown off. Ikeda-san whipped the boat from side to side as he drove so that the inflatable would bounce over the boat's wake. Natsume and Mikan squinted their eyes against the wind and spray. The speed and the constant threat of falling off of the inflatable were thrilling. After a couple minutes, the boat took another wide turn and when the inflatable whipped around behind it, both teens lost their grips on the handles and fell into the salty water with a splash.

Their life vests quickly bobbed them back up to the surface where they wiped the water from their eyes. As Ikeda-san guided the boat back around towards them, Mikan grinned at Natsume. "That was fun! This weather is great. It's nice not to have the bright sunlight in our eyes." Natsume nodded his agreement. Ikeda-san slowly drove the boat past them, dragging the inflatable along behind it. When it had almost reached them, he idled the engine while they hauled themselves back on top for another round. For the next twenty minutes, they continued riding around on the inflatable, one or both of them periodically falling off.

When the inflatable flew over a small wave, the impact sent Mikan into the water again. As the inflatable came back around, Natsume smirked at her from on top of it. "You're losing your touch, Polka Dots."

"Ha!" Mikan scoffed as she swam over. "Ikeda-san has just gotten really good at driving." She hauled herself on top of the inflatable, sitting up on her knees for a minute so that she could wipe her wet hair out of her face.

"I bet I can throw you off," Natsume challenged.

Mikan instantly rose to the occasion. "I bet you can't! Why don't you give it a try? If you can throw me off in less than five minutes, you win. If I can stay on, I win."

"What are the stakes?" Natsume asked smugly, pleased at the idea.

Mikan shrugged. "One favor, winner's choice."

Natsume nodded. "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you, Polka Dots." With that, he rolled over the side and swam for the boat. Mikan centered herself on the inflatable, flattening herself as much as possible and gripping the handles tightly. She was determined to win this bet. Natsume could be awfully cocky sometimes and he had a way of sparking her competitive side. On the boat, Ikeda-san moved to a different seat as Natsume took the wheel. Looking behind him, Natsume shouted, "Hold on tight, Polka Dots!"

For several minutes, Natsume did his best to throw her, but she held on resolutely. He thought he had her when she lost her grip on one of the handles after hitting a high bump, but she managed to snatch it again a moment later. Natsume grinned, enjoying the challenge. When another boat drove by some 50 feet away, he saw his chance. He quickly steered their boat across the other boat's wake, causing the inflatable to fly over the first wave only to immediately smack into the second one. His plan was a little too effective. The entire inflatable capsized.

Natsume brought the boat around to pick up Mikan, but there was no sign of her where she should have been. He cut the engine as Ikeda-san stood up, both of their eyes scanning the water for any sign of the girl.

"Where is she? Her life vest should have brought her up," Ikeda-san said worriedly.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Natsume. He stared intently at the upside-down inflatable before muttering, "No way…" He grabbed the rope at the boat's stern. With Ikeda-san helping him, they hauled in the inflatable. Sure enough, when it got close enough, they saw Mikan's head bobbing along the side, her hands still tightly gripping the submerged handles. Natsume stared at her dryly, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile. " _Really,_ Polka Dots?"

Mikan grinned at him and flashed him a "V for Victory" sign with one hand. "10 points! I win." She laughed when he merely cocked an eyebrow in response. Still giggling, she released the other handle and slid onto her back, floating tiredly with the support of her life vest. Natsume had really taken her for a ride and they'd already been going for awhile before that.

Natsume shook his head. _She's so stubborn… but I have to admit, that was impressive._ He didn't know many girls who could pull off what she'd just done and he couldn't help admiring her for it. As he watched her floating below him, he smirked mischievously. Stepping up onto the boat's ledge, he jumped, tucking his body into a cannonball. He splashed into the water right next to her. She screamed, startled. Righting herself, she splashed water at him. "Natsume!" He immediately retaliated and for a minute, they simply splashed each other vigorously as Mikan shouted and laughed. She squealed when Natsume suddenly swam up to her, grabbed both shoulders of her life vest, and dunked her. She bobbed back up sputtering and wiped her eyes. "Why you…!" She immediately attempted to repeat his attack back on him, but she couldn't get him under. "Hey! Why doesn't it work on you?"

Natsume smirked as he teased her. "You're just not as strong as I am, Polka Dots." Really, he just knew how to spread his weight out enough to make his body more buoyant than hers had been, making him harder to dunk. Mikan shrieked in frustration, her grin conveying that she wasn't truly angry. When she tried once more to dunk him, he suddenly grabbed her arms and spun her around in the water so that she had her back to his chest. He quickly pinned her arms to the front of her life vest and wrapped his legs around hers below the water. She fought and struggled against her captor to no avail, alternatively growling and laughing. When she paused to gather her strength, Natsume smirked by her ear. "Give up, Polka Dots?"

Mikan fiercely renewed her efforts to free herself as she declared, "Never!" After a minute, she went limp again, breathing heavily.

Natsume chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Since you refuse to surrender, would you care to parley?"

" _Parley?"_ Mikan hissed in English. _"Damn_ to the depths whatever man what thought of _parley!"_ she spat in her best gravelly voice. She tilted her head to look back at Natsume, smiling with anticipation. Natsume stared back at her blandly before choosing to please her.

"That would be the French."

Mikan laughed brightly, delighted that he'd actually said the next line from the first _Pirates of the Caribbean_ movie. When her laughter subsided, she allowed her head to flop back and said, "Okay, so let's parley. What are your demands for releasing me back into Ikeda-san's custody aboard our vessel?"

Natsume smirked. "One favor, my choice."

Mikan balked at his suggestion. "No way! I had to _earn_ my favor by winning our bet. You can't just get one for free!"

Natsume smiled innocently and pleasantly informed her, "Then I guess I'll just have to keep hugging you like this forever."

Mikan blushed when Natsume referred to his grip on her as a "hug." She glanced down at his hands and arms, gauging their distance from her mouth, before threatening, "I could just bite you, you know. What then?"

Natsume spoke softly so that Ikeda-san couldn't hear him from on board the speed boat. "Then I'll just bite you back."

Mikan cursed herself for walking right into that one as her already pink face turned completely scarlet. "Fine! I surrender! Let me go!"

"One favor, my choice?" Natsume asked smugly.

"Yes, yes, one favor, your choice!"

When Natsume released her, Mikan immediately swam for the boat without looking back at him. Ikeda-san helped her climb on board after subtly clicking the send button on his cell phone, secretly sending the video he'd just recorded to Kaoru-san. When Natsume climbed on board behind her, Mikan turned to glare halfheartedly at him. "You'll give me my one favor, too, right?"

Natsume smirked. "I'm a man of my word, Polka Dots. We both owe each other one favor." Mikan nodded, satisfied.

Since Mikan was tired and wanted a break, Natsume took a solo turn on the inflatable. As Ikeda-san slowly pulled the boat away, Mikan muttered to the driver, "Well, he certainly got his way back there, didn't he?"

Ikeda-san glanced at her with a smile as he watched Natsume and the inflatable draw farther away behind them. "If I may, Mikan-sama, I believe he was flirting with you."

Mikan blushed, but admitted, "Well, I was flirting a little bit with him, too, so that part was okay." Ikeda-san grinned at her honest confession. He was among the youngest of the household staff and was more in tune with the young teens' generation than some of his coworkers, though he still respected his employee-employer relationship with them. Kaoru-san had instructed him to inform her of anything interesting around the vacation house during her absence and Natsume's playful encounter with Mikan seemed interesting enough to Ikeda-san to be worth sharing with her, but it didn't mean that he didn't like and respect Natsume. Quite the opposite, it made him happy to see the teenager acting his age and having a good time. He hadn't known Mikan as long as many of the other staff, but he'd known her long enough to attribute Natsume's enjoyment and relaxation to her influence.

When Natsume was finished, he and Ikeda-san hauled the inflatable back on board. After a brief discussion, the two youths decided to relax in the boat and enjoy the ride as Ikeda-san drove them around for awhile. The pair sat on the bench seat at the boat's bow. Mikan curled her legs beneath her and crossed her arms over the boat's front hood. She loved the feeling of the wind and the sight of the vast ocean passing by all around her, yet still stretching endlessly towards the horizon. Beside her, Natsume's face was completely relaxed as he enjoyed the ride and freely savored the feeling of being with her.

When they spotted lightning in the distance towards the darkest part of the sky, Ikeda-san turned the boat around to head for home. Natsume and Mikan both turned around in their seats to watch the distant lightning split the sky. Mikan grinned. "I love lightning. It looks so cool." Natsume nodded in agreement; as long as they were far enough away to be out of danger, he also enjoyed the brilliant display of nature's power.

Ikeda-san slowed the boat to a crawl as they approached the buoy that separated the vacation house's private swimming area from open water. As they slowly headed for the dock by the boathouse, Natsume glanced at Mikan and casually asked, "So do you have any ideas about how to use your favor?"

Mikan turned to grin at him. "I might use it to get another massage from you. That seriously felt _amazing._ "

Natsume smirked at her suggestively and leaned over to whisper to her, "Are you saying that you enjoy feeling my hands on your body, Polka Dots?"

Exactly as he'd anticipated, Mikan blushed madly and shrieked, "You pervert!" He continued to smirk at her in amusement as she swatted her hands at him, which he easily blocked. She called him a "jerk" and shoved him with her shoulder. Instead of keeping himself on the bench seat, Natsume chose to prioritize taking her down with him. His life vest cushioned his fall as he fell on his back into the boat's small aisle, pulling Mikan down on top of him. She glared in embarrassment at the incredibly self-satisfied look on his face. "You are so full of yourself."

"It's what makes me so loveable."

Mikan guffawed at his claim and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, _pervert._ " She pushed herself off of him, smiling despite herself. From his position on the floor, Natsume glanced up at Ikeda-san, who was resolutely keeping his eyes trained straight ahead as he steered the boat, although he didn't bother hiding his smile. Natsume didn't think that he could let loose with Mikan as easily in front of some of the other staff (regardless of his mother's advice), but he didn't mind as much with Ikeda-san.

After docking, Natsume returned the inflatable while Mikan put away the life vests. Ikeda-san wanted to do some work around the boathouse before the storm reached the shore, so the teens left him there and made their way back inside. The wind from the boat ride had mostly dried them off, so they decided to go ahead and eat lunch since they were hungry before showering and changing out of their swim suits. They found Futaka-san in the kitchen. The motherly chef was already preparing a fresh lunch and told them that it would be ready in about 10 minutes. Mikan suggested that they sit on the front porch while they waited so that they could watch the lightning far off over the ocean.

After lunch, Natsume went to his room to shower and change while Mikan did the same in her permanent guest room. She couldn't resist soaking in the guest bath's large tub for awhile since it was so much bigger than her tub at the temple. By the time she came out dressed in a loose purple tank top and black shorts, Natsume was already lounging with a manga in an alcove at the end of the hall. She smiled. It was a great place to sit and chill since it was out of the way and featured an enormous floor-length window facing the mountains. She admired the view for a minute before turning around to head to Natsume's room. He had several bookshelves full of manga and she pulled one out to read for awhile before heading back to the alcove.

Although there were two couches angled towards the window, Natsume was sitting on the floor leaning his back against one of them with his legs stretched out and crossed comfortably in front of him. Mikan was still a bit tired from playing on the inflatable, so she opted to lie down rather than sit. Instead of choosing to lay on one of the couches, however, she stretched out on the floor and plopped the back of her head down on Natsume's thigh. She opened up her manga and started reading as Natsume smirked above her. They'd always been more comfortable with each other physically than they were with most other people simply because they were such close friends, but when he thought about it, their comfort levels had grown a lot more this summer. From holding hands at the festival and then again on their way home from the Ono farm to sleeping together on the home theater's couch to putting his arm around her as they sat on the mountainside, they were growing increasingly more physically affectionate with one another and Natsume liked it. _And that kiss…_ Natsume's concentration on his manga wavered as he replayed their first kiss yesterday in his mind. He couldn't lie; he _really_ wanted to try that with her again. After talking to his mom last night, Natsume felt freer to embrace his warm, pleasant feelings and wanted to savor them while he had the chance.

Since Natsume only needed one hand to hold his manga, he softly wound the fingers of his other hand in a pile of Mikan's hair, absentmindedly rubbing the soft, silky strands between his thumb and forefinger. Mikan sighed, incredibly comfortable just being close to him. They sat quietly in the alcove reading their manga for about 45 minutes before Mikan tossed hers aside, stretched, and rolled onto her side so that she was staring out the window. She blinked.

"Hey, it's not raining."

Natsume glanced up from his manga. "I don't think it ever did."

Mikan sat up and crawled on her hands and knees to look out the floor length window. "You're right. The ground looks dry." When she turned her head to look at Natsume and saw his eyes dart up to her face, she raised an eyebrow at him and asked suspiciously, "Were you checking out my butt?"

"Yes," he answered unrepentantly.

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Pervert."

"If you didn't want me looking, you shouldn't have stuck it out at me."

Mikan stood up and plunked her hands on her hips. "You know what kind of guy blames his thoughts and actions on girls?" When Natsume cocked an eyebrow at her, Mikan told him, "Perverts."

Natsume's smirk only grew more amused. "Fine, I admit that I chose to check out your butt of my own freewill and volition. Happy?" Mikan nodded once, not thinking about the fact that she should have scolded him again at his open confession. "I'm honestly surprised that a naïve little girl like you even noticed."

Mikan spoke over her shoulder as she walked away to return her manga to Natsume's bedroom. "I saw you staring. How else could I have taken that?"

Natsume hopped up from the floor to sit on a couch where he could watch her walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to run to the market to grab some groceries. I would have gone earlier if I'd known it wasn't going to rain."

Natsume instantly jumped up to follow her. "I'll come with you."

Mikan smiled. "Okay."

As Natsume accompanied Mikan through Makikawa's main street, he couldn't help feeling a bit like her boyfriend. He carried her shopping tote over one shoulder while she selected and purchased the items from her shopping list. She was grateful for his help and happy to have his company while she ran her short errands. When they stopped at the Watanabe's farm stand for eggs, milk, and butter, Ayaka was there with her mother. Natsume simply nodded when the emerald-eyed blond greeted him and stayed silent as the girls chatted amiably.

At one point, Ayaka leaned in to whisper to Mikan with a mischievous grin, "So the two of you are alone today? Is this like a date?" Neither of the girls realized that Natsume could hear them and he was careful to not look at them from his position several feet away.

Mikan blushed. "No, he's just running errands with me. He was bored."

Ayaka smiled, her pretty eyes twinkling merrily. "That's a shame. I've always thought the two of you look really good together."

Mikan's heart fluttered and she blushed even harder, but couldn't help smiling at her classmate's comment. She was grateful that Ayaka's mother stepped up with her purchase at that moment so that she didn't have to respond. Behind them, Natsume turned away from the booth to make extra sure that none of them would notice the pleased expression on his face.

After thanking Ayaka and her mother, the two teens picked up some chicken and ground beef before heading towards the harbor. Mikan had two stops to make here, the first by a large fishing vessel where she purchased a pound of shrimp and the second at the Akawa's booth for some fish. Mikan smiled at the middle-aged man behind the counter. "Good afternoon, Akawa-san!" Beside her, Natsume's ears perked up at the mention of Shinji's family name.

Shinji's father smiled broadly as he wiped his hands on his apron. "Hello there, Mikan-chan! What can I get you today?"

After Mikan placed her order and the fisherman began assembling it, she looked around the dock and over at the Akawa's fishing boat behind the booth. "Is Shinji-kun around?"

Akawa-san smiled. "He's out on his uncle's boat right now. The storms lately have thrown off our normal fishing routines, so we're all getting out on the water whenever we can. There's been some lightning today, so who knows when or if the storm brewing out there will get close enough to send the boats in."

Mikan nodded. "I promised him that I would have him over for dinner sometime to thank him for delivering my fish the other day. I don't have as much going on this week, so I thought it would be a good time."

Akawa-san raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Well, well… That's awfully sweet of you, Mikan-chan. I'll be sure to mention it to him."

Mikan smiled. "Thanks, Oji-san!"

After paying for her fish, Mikan told Natsume that they had everything she needed and the pair headed for the temple. As they walked side-by-side, Natsume mulled over her conversation with Akawa-san. He knew, of course, that she had invited Shinji to have dinner at the temple sometime and it was very much in Mikan's character to keep her word. He also recognized that she was just being friendly and polite. After all, she wasn't romantically interested in Shinji and since Natsume got to spend far more time with her than a single family dinner, he didn't see any reason to be jealous. Still, the idea of a guy who had openly confessed to liking her sitting with her and her grandfather in their home and eating her home cooked food didn't sit well in his stomach.

They passed the rest of the afternoon leisurely around the temple, mostly keeping Sakura-ojii-san company. Mikan fixed dinner for the three of them, and afterwards, they sat out on the porch eating frozen sorbet for dessert. When it got dark, they moved into the living room to watch the 2007 Korean comedy _Going by the Book_ about a police department's training simulation of a bank robbery gone hilariously wrong _._ Sakura-ojii-san sat in his favorite armchair while Natsume and Mikan sat side-by-side on the couch with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn between them. All three of them found the movie hysterically funny. During one particular scene, both Mikan and her grandfather actually laughed so hard that they cried. When the film ended, Natsume announced that he was going to head home for the night.

"It's always a pleasure to have you, Natsume-kun. Be safe walking home now," Sakura-ojii-san told him with a smile as he prepared to head off to bed.

Natsume nodded, offering him a small smile. He really liked Mikan's grandfather and was grateful that the old man was always so welcoming. "Thank you for having me, sir. Goodnight."

As Mikan slipped into her shoes, she said, "I'll walk him to the gate, Jii-chan."

Natsume and Mikan slowly crossed the temple courtyard, neither of them in a rush to say goodbye. They chatted casually until they'd passed through the gate and made it out to the road. With the moon and stars still covered by a thick layer of rainclouds in the night sky, the only light came from the sconces mounted on each of the gates' pillars, casting a soft glow over the road a short distance away.

Mikan smiled up at Natsume when they paused before parting ways. "Thanks again for today, Natsume. Boating was a blast and it was nice having you along while I did my grocery shopping."

Natsume looked down at her, his gaze unusually tender. "You're welcome, Polka Dots," he told her sincerely. He felt his heart begin to beat faster again. That had been happening to him a lot lately. Remembering that he was trying to explore his feelings and test the waters of their relationship this week rather than holding back, he swallowed before slowly leaning down to kiss her cheek. He pulled back just enough to see her face, hoping for a positive reaction.

Mikan smiled softly at him in the dim light. He waited patiently, giving her time. She glanced at his lips before returning her eyes to his. She took a half-step closer and gently pressed her lips to his for a short, sweet kiss. Natsume closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. After a few moments, Mikan quietly wondered if he was okay until he suddenly straightened and whispered, "See you tomorrow, Polka Dots," before turning to head down the country road.

Mikan smiled as a warm, giddy feeling settled in her stomach. "See you tomorrow, Natsume."

Natsume spent the 20 minute trek to the vacation house deep in thought. He silently reflected on the past two days, remembering all the moments of incredible fun and spine-tingling intimacy. Even as they currently stood, his relationship with Sakura Mikan was completely different than any of his other friendships. They were so completely comfortable around each other and that was very important to Natsume. He missed her when they were apart and could feel her trust and acceptance when they were together. When she'd kissed him goodnight, he'd felt his heart inflate with a deep emotional longing that he'd found hard to resist.

He thought about Watanabe Ayaka's comment about them looking good together and her question about if they'd been on a date at the time. He thought about Mikan's offer to have Akawa Shinji over for dinner and the boy's open feelings for her, wondering how those small interactions would draw them closer together over time while he was back in Tokyo for the school year. He thought about his mother's advice and what he was really trying to accomplish while he had Mikan all to himself for awhile. It didn't take him long to draw a conclusion from his vast array of thoughts. He knew what he was going to do.

When Natsume entered the vacation house, he informed the first staff member he came across that he was home for the night and headed upstairs to his room. After shutting the door behind him, he pulled out his cell phone and clicked on one of the speed dials. It rang three times before he heard an answer.

"Hey, Okaa-san. I'd like to ask your permission for something…"

* * *

Natsume got up bright and early, anxious to prepare for the day ahead. Nerves and excitement made him feel extra energized as he showered; dressed in a soft, fitted black t-shirt, black cargo shorts, and brown leather sandals; ate a quick, simple breakfast; and communicated with the necessary staff. He told himself that it was a matter of pride that he do this right. After all, he'd never done it before and he held the mindset that the first time you do something sets the baseline for all future attempts. As soon as he felt ready, he headed straight for the temple.

Thick gray clouds covered the sky, but since it had never ended up raining yesterday, the ground was dry as he walked the 20 minutes from his summer home to the tall red torii gate of the rural Shinto shrine. Luck seemed to be with him as he approached the main building and saw Sakura-ojii-san already up and about, standing in the courtyard with a pair of trimming shears. Natsume immediately greeted him and after exchanging pleasantries, he bowed to the elderly man and formally made his request. Sakura-ojii-san smiled broadly and after confirming several details with the teen, granted him the permission he sought. When the priest told him that he believed that Mikan was already up, Natsume thanked him again and went inside, leaving the old man in the courtyard with a highly pleased look upon his wrinkled face.

Natsume closed the door behind him before crossing the living room. Mikan's bedroom shared a hallway with a bathroom, guestroom, and linen closet on the opposite side of the temple's living quarters than her grandfather's master bedroom. As Natsume turned the corner, he suddenly stopped in his tracks at the unexpected sight that greeted him. Mikan stood with her back to him in the open doorway of the linen closet at the other end of the hall, stretched up on her tiptoes as she reached for a small plastic bin full of extra bathroom supplies. She must have just taken a shower because her long hair hung damply down her back…

…and she was wearing nothing but a towel.

Natsume smirked. It wasn't how he'd expected their day together to start, but he wasn't complaining. "Nice look, Polka Dots." The effect was instantaneous. Mikan nearly leapt out of her skin, immediately clutching her towel tightly as she spun around.

"Natsume!" Her face was quickly turning a bright shade of red. She snatched a roll of toilet paper off a shelf in the closet behind her and hurled it at him. "Pervert!" she shouted as she rushed through her bedroom door, slamming it shut behind her. Natsume shook his head, chuckling as he approached the closet to put away the roll of toilet paper that he'd easily caught.

"What are you doing here?" Mikan called through her bedroom door, her voice still a bit shrill from her shock and embarrassment.

Natsume shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his back against her door. With a smirk, he answered, "The same thing I always do here, Polka Dots. What are you doing running around naked?" He heard Mikan huff indignantly on the other side of the door.

"I was _not_ naked. I was wearing a towel because I just got out of the shower and needed a new bottle of detangling spray to brush my hair. I wasn't expecting _you_ to come waltzing down the hallway while I was out there."

Natsume grinned. It was nothing new for her to be mad and embarrassed because of him, though this situation had truly been a coincidence and not at all orchestrated by him. He thought it was a bit funny that he saw far more of her bare skin when she was wearing her bikini than when she was wrapped in a towel, but the implication that she was naked under that towel somehow made it the more risqué thing for him to see her in. He chose not to reply and simply waited outside her door. As much fun as teasing her was, today he had a higher purpose.

When he heard Mikan's hand on the door handle, he straightened and turned around so that he was blocking her way as soon as she opened it. Not expecting him to be so close, she walked straight into him. She raised an eyebrow as she glared up at him questioningly. "What do you want?"

"I want to know if you'd like to go to Owase with me today." He loved the look of surprise that crossed her face.

She looked up at him curiously. "You want to go back to Owase?" When he nodded, she questioned him further. "Shouldn't we wait a few days for the others to get back? I bet they'd like to come if we're going again anyway."

Natsume smirked. "I wouldn't let them come even if they were here." When she looked confused, he gave it to her straight. "I'm asking you on a date, Polka Dots."

Mikan blinked. Natsume watched her with a mix of amusement and a small flurry of nervousness, despite his confidence that she would say yes. She had kissed him twice now (technically three times if he counted the ones in the home theater separately) and he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't do something like that with someone that she was completely uninterested in romantically. She blinked again and tilted her head innocently, finally asking him slowly, curiously, "Really?"

His smirk softened. "Yes, Polka Dots. I'm asking you on a friendly, casual date to Owase. No pressure, no expectations other than that you come have a good time with me." He was gratified when she smiled, obviously pleased by his words.

"Okay. I'd really like that, Natsume." She glanced down at her tank top and shorts before saying, "Just let me change… _again."_

Natsume nodded and started to walk away when Mikan suddenly called to him again. "Hey, Natsume! I'll have to ask Jii-chan's permission first. I've never been to Owase without an adult."

Natsume smirked. "I already asked your Jii-chan if I can take you on a date to Owase today. I asked Okaa-san last night. Her only condition was that we both have our cell phones on us. Ikeda-san is going to take us there and be available during the day if we need him."

Mikan smiled broadly. "Okay, great!" She shut her bedroom door and pressed both hands to her warm cheeks. She couldn't believe what was happening. Natsume had asked her on a date! Even though he specified that it was just a friendly, casual date, he'd taken it seriously enough to get permission from both of their guardians and arrange transport in advance. She could feel her heart fluttering madly. Grinning excitedly, she went to her closet to choose an outfit for her very first date.

While Mikan changed clothes and finished brushing her hair, Natsume went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As he leaned against the counter sipping his drink, he relished Mikan's acceptance. He'd meant what he'd told her, he just intended for this to be a casual date, but it was still a _real date._ He didn't want either of them to feel pressured to make any big decisions immediately after this. He just wanted for both of them to have the chance to see what it would be like to be more than just friends for a day. He was trying hard not to think about what would happen when his friends and family returned on Saturday and just focus on the here and now. He'd committed himself to taking his mother's advice and enjoying himself while he did.

He looked up when Mikan entered the room. He stared, his water glass frozen against his lips. She smiled. "I haven't had breakfast yet, so I'm going to eat a bite before we leave." She walked over to the fridge and opened the door, bending over to rummage through its contents in search of something quick and simple.

Natsume felt his cheeks heat up as his heart beat faster. He should have been prepared for the effect her appearance would have on him. It was the same way he'd felt the last time they'd gone to Owase when she'd worn a white off-the-shoulder romper covered in bold red roses with black stems and leaves. He was so used to seeing her in t-shirts and tank tops that the rare sight of her dressed up in something cuter lit a delightful fire in the pit of his stomach. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he finished off his water.

Mikan had stuck to her usual hairstyle, complete with the familiar white ribbon tied at the back of her head. Her hair was still damp, but it would air dry quickly once she was outside. Her mother's pearl stud earrings were her only jewelry. The dress she wore was a soft shade of blue, and although her neck and shoulders were left bare by the strapless, sweetheart neckline, it hugged her close enough to modestly cover her chest. A wide belt of rich, earthly brown with tarnished gold appliqués in a circular pattern on the front cinched the dress at her waist, leaving the skirt to softly drape over her curves, the hemline brushing gently against her thighs as she moved about the kitchen. The silhouette was feminine and very flattering on her. She completed the look with a pair of plain sandals that matched her belt.

Natsume didn't know that she had actually just bought the outfit during their last trip to Owase. She'd found the dress on a clearance rack in a boutique that he and Ruka had opted to skip, choosing to visit a nearby sports store instead. Aoi had found the belt in a basket of discount accessories and Hotaru had chosen the sandals, which had also been on sale. When they'd suggested that she try the accessories on with the dress, the girls and their mothers had all thought that she looked super cute in the outfit. At first, she'd hesitated to spend the money on something that she wouldn't get the chance to wear very often even though the total cost for all three items had only been ¥3200. When Hotaru had pointed out to her that Sumire would be pleased to know that she had taken the fashionista's advice to add more strapless and off-the-shoulder styles to her wardrobe, Mikan had gone ahead and treated herself to the simple, but attractive ensemble.

When Mikan finished eating, they headed out the door. Sakura-ojii-san smiled proudly at them. "My goodness, what a beautiful young lady you've become. Be sure to stay with Natsume-kun and keep your cell phone with you. I hope you both have a wonderful time."

"Thank you, sir," Natsume said respectfully, bowing his head. He knew that Mikan spending the day alone with him in Owase was different than the freedom she had to roam her home village of Makikawa and he was grateful for the old man's trust in them. Mikan smiled and kissed her grandfather's cheek.

As they walked through the main gate, Natsume looked at her curiously. "Where _is_ your cell phone?"

Mikan smiled as she pulled out her cell phone to show him. "This dress has pockets. Since all I need today is money and my cell phone, I didn't want to bother with a purse." She was a natural minimalist, so she preferred pockets over purses whenever possible.

Natsume smirked. "You're not paying for anything today, Polka Dots." Mikan looked at him questioningly. "This is a _date_ , remember? Everything is my treat."

Mikan blushed and looked away from him. "Okay. Thanks." Kaoru-san and Saki-san always paid for any food or activities when they went to Owase, but having Natsume pay for her was different. Even if the money he used was technically his parents (which Mikan didn't know or wonder), it still set off butterflies in her stomach to hear that he intentionally wanted to treat her himself. It was slowly sinking in that they were actually on a real date together.

Natsume glanced at her hand as they walked. He wanted to hold it, but remembered the attention they'd gotten from their friends and family at the Summer Solstice Festival and thought it best not to publicize anything in Makikawa ( _yet_ ). They didn't know people in Owase, so it wouldn't matter there, but he didn't want anyone here to see them and say anything. Protecting the two of them from any outside interference as they explored and figured things out was one of the main reasons that he was doing this while his friends and family were out of town for the week. His mother had thought it was a great idea when he'd called her for permission last night.

When they reached the vacation house, Mikan asked him if Ikeda-san was taking them in the car. She was surprised when he told her that they were taking the yacht the same as last time.

"If we're not driving, wouldn't it be better to take the speed boat since it's just the three of us?" she asked.

Natsume shook his head. "Ikeda-san is going to wait on the boat for us in Owase." That was his mother's one other condition besides taking their cell phones.

Mikan nodded in understanding. The yacht had a main level cabin and another one below deck, providing Ikeda-san with more shade, space, and protection from the weather than the speed boat or the car. The vessel was equipped with an onboard bathroom, temperature control, mini-fridge, lights, and other electric amenities that made it a much more comfortable and convenient place for the driver to spend the day. He was waiting for them on the dock when they approached, having already run the necessary mechanical and safety checks and made sure everything was well stocked.

He smiled broadly as he bowed. "Good morning, Mikan-sama, Natsume-sama."

She grinned. "Good morning, Ikeda-san."

After boarding, Mikan headed straight for the bow as she normally did. This time, Natsume allowed Ikeda-san to drive so that he could stand with her. As Ikeda-san smoothly pulled away from the shore, Mikan smiled at Natsume. "I hope the weather stays like this. I like sunshine, but it just gets so hot in the afternoons when the sun is beating down." Natsume eyed the cloudy sky. He also appreciated the shade, but hoped that like yesterday it would remain overcast without actually raining.

Mikan held on and grinned as they picked up speed, the breeze whipping her hair back. She loved this feeling. As they made their way towards Owase, Natsume ended up looking at her just as much as the ocean view. One of the things that drew people to Mikan was her vibrancy, how she openly and transparently enjoyed things. She was less reserved that most people, allowing her emotions to radiate brightly. She was friendly and outgoing and had a way of making even the most mundane things seem special. Natsume wasn't that way at all, making it seem that there was some truth to the old saying that opposites attract.

When they arrived at the same rental dock that they'd used during their previous visit two weeks ago, Natsume told Mikan, "Stay here while I tie off the lines."

Mikan immediately protested. "I can help. I did it last time with Ruka-pyon."

Natsume smirked at her. "I know, but how are you planning on getting off the boat? You're wearing a skirt this time."

Mikan looked down at herself and nodded. "Good point. Thanks." The romper she'd worn last time had had shorts, so she'd been able to hop down over the side and onto the dock without a problem. Since she didn't feel like flashing her panties for the whole world to see, she would just have to wait until Natsume had secured the boat so that the yacht's steps could be lowered. She smiled as she watched Natsume deftly hop over the side and attend to the lines, noting that no matter how much of a pervert he could be, he was just as fast to guard her modesty around strangers.

After disembarking, Ikeda-san confirmed his instructions to wait for them on the boat until they were ready to return home before setting off for the boathouse to take care of the dock rental. Mikan smiled at Natsume. "So what should we do?" She blushed happily when Natsume promptly took her by the hand. She was an affectionate person and enjoyed the warm feeling of his hand in hers. It was a small gesture that made her heart race.

Natsume smirked. "Whatever we want."

With excited anticipation coursing through their veins, the pair set off to enjoy their date together in the bustling town of Owase.


	10. What We Could Be

**Author's Note:** Shout out to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers! You make it worth posting this story instead of keeping it all to myself. :) Lots of love!

* * *

Chapter 10: What We Could Be

Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

After leaving the harbor, Natsume and Mikan wandered the streets of Owase without a destination in mind. They paused in front of a shop window when the display caught Mikan's eye. "Aw, that would look super cute on Aoi-chan!"

Natsume studied the dress on the mannequin. It was black and covered in plump red strawberries. One thing he had in common with his little sister was their mutual love of strawberries, but he cocked an eyebrow skeptically at the low v-neckline. "She'd love the print, but she can't wear something that low cut yet." _Or ever,_ he thought.

Mikan grinned. "Aoi-chan is already beautiful, but she's going to be drop dead gorgeous in a few years."

Natsume blew out a disgruntled breath. He knew she was right, but as an older brother, he didn't enjoy thinking about Aoi becoming an attractive teenage girl. He looked at Mikan when she laughed.

"I can see what you're thinking. It's written all over your face."

Strange as it was, her comment reminded him of just how close they were. The changes in his facial expressions tended to be minute, but Mikan knew him well enough to read them anyway. He squeezed her hand affectionately.

They continued down the street, occasionally pausing to look at something interesting. When Natsume paused to check out a video game poster outside an electronics store, Mikan scrunched up her nose. "That's gross."

Natsume smirked. "They're just zombies, Polka Dots."

"So? Their flesh is rotting and their limbs are falling off. Look! That one's eyeball is hanging out of its socket!"

Natsume snickered. "You're so prejudiced. Don't make fun of the poor disabled zombies."

Mikan jerked his hand and stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be stupid!"

He couldn't resist teasing her. "You're one to talk."

"Hey!" Mikan glared at him, trying to look fierce, but to Natsume, she just looked like an angry kitten. She ended up smiling as they started walking again. Truth be told, she loved that they could jest with each other so freely without taking it seriously. She'd seen fellow students at her school argue and even end friendships because of being too easily offended, and had vowed to give people the benefit of a doubt whenever possible and always accept a sincere apology.

After half-an-hour of wandering and browsing, Mikan spotted an arcade. She grinned and tugged on Natsume's hand excitedly. "Natsume, let's go in there! Come on! It'll be fun!" She didn't need to convince him. Natsume was a teenage guy. He enjoyed video games of many kinds and thought it was pretty cool that Mikan genuinely wanted to check it out.

As with many classic arcades, the inside was a bit gaudy. The walls and the hard floor were black with neon colored shapes scattered across them, glowing slightly from the few black lights spaced across the ceiling. The arcade was dimly lit to enhance the bright signs and colorful flashes coming from the assorted games. The air was filled with electronic sounds and people's voices. It wasn't jam packed, but there was a decent crowd of kids, teens, and young adults who were enjoying their summer vacations.

Natsume bought each of them a ¥2000 game card since they weren't sure how long they would stay. Mikan immediately dragged him over to a two-player racing game and challenged him to a match. She was highly animated as they played. Natsume smirked in amusement as she grinned, winced, gasped, cheered herself on, and eventually moaned in defeat. She scowled. "I want a rematch." When Natsume beat her once again, she sighed. "Next!"

As they browsed through the various machines, Mikan noticed Natsume eyeing a shooting game. "I chose the last game, so you pick one," she encouraged him fairly. After a single round of two-player mode in which Mikan did horribly, she grimaced and suggested that he try a solo round. He quickly moved up from Level 1 to Level 2, then on to Level 3. A prerecorded voice announced his victories at the end of each level, drawing the attention of several people nearby. By the time he cleared level 8, half-a-dozen onlookers had stopped to watch him. He blazed through the first 10 levels in just over 15 minutes. He paused to ask Mikan, "Do you want me to quit?"

She grinned at him. "Heck, no! I want to see how far you can get. What's the high score on this thing?"

Natsume smirked. Whether she'd meant to or not, Mikan had stroked his ego with her enthusiasm. He didn't care about impressing the onlookers, but he did feel like showing off to his date. The high score currently stood at Level 21. When he cleared Level 22, he holstered the plastic gun as the small group of onlookers cheered their approval. He turned to look at Mikan, who was grinning at him happily. "Congratulations, Natsume! That was awesome."

Pleased, he asked her, "What would you like to do now?"

She tilted her head cutely. "Can we get something to drink?"

"Sure," he answered. He was glad that she was being honest about wanting something that cost money. He didn't want her to be worried or uncomfortable about him paying for things while they were on their date. He knew she was very frugal and money conscious, but he was far, _far_ too wealthy for her to need to be even remotely concerned about the inconsequential amount that he'd be spending today.

After sharing a drink, Mikan went to use the restroom. When she came out, she saw two girls chatting with a very uninterested looking Natsume as he leaned against a nearby wall. Mikan couldn't help chuckling at his bland facial expression. He'd never been very friendly with strangers and took a long time to warm up to people. She also knew that he and Ruka both got a lot of unwanted attention due to their good looks and Natsume thought of it as nothing more than a nuisance. She felt a little bit sorry for the girls since she really couldn't blame them for taking an interest in him. _He really is quite attractive..._ She blushed lightly at her thoughts as she approached Natsume with a smile. As soon as he saw her, he pushed off the wall and brushed past the two girls to meet her halfway.

"You ready?"

As the girls eyed them in the background, Mikan slipped her hand into his. "Yep! Let's find something to play that I don't stink at."

In the dim light of the arcade, Natsume smirked, loving that Mikan had taken his hand herself this time. He wondered if she'd done it consciously to send a silent message to the girls who'd been flirting with him or if she'd just grown comfortable enough with holding hands with him to do it unconsciously. Either way was a good thing to him.

The pair spent another hour moving from game to game, stopping to reload their game cards when needed. Natsume did well shooting mini basketballs while Mikan managed to beat his score at pinball. They worked together throwing heavy rubber balls to knock down creepy clown dolls at Down The Clown and both failed miserably at Skee-ball. Mikan fought an intense battle of Whac-A-Mole before dissolving into a fit of laughter when the game malfunctioned, causing the little animatronics to pop up and down endlessly. When she finally stopped laughing, Natsume went to report the broken game to a staff member and use the restroom while Mikan waited for him at a vacant table near the arcade's small concession stand.

As she sat waiting, Mikan heard a group of girls talking around a game behind her. She looked over and listened as a petite brunette pleaded with her friends to try it with her, but they all refused. It was a competitive dancing game that Mikan was somewhat familiar with and had enjoyed playing before. Smiling, she hopped up from her seat and approached the group.

"Pleeeeeeease!" the brunette begged again. "I don't want to do it alone!"

"I'll try it with you," Mikan offered cheerfully.

The girls all turned to look at her. The brunette beamed. "Really? Thanks! I'm Rika!" the girl introduced herself with a quick bow.

Mikan returned the gesture. "I'm Mikan!"

The two girls stepped up onto the lighted platform, a thick red safety bar behind each of them to keep them from accidentally stepping backwards off the edge. They swiped their game cards as Rika's friends watched from behind. After selecting two-player mode, Rika asked, "Is there a song you'd like to try?"

Mikan smiled. "Anything is fine with me! What level do you want to play?"

As Rika scrolled through the song selections, she replied, "I usually start with Beginner and move up as I play."

Mikan grinned. "Sounds great!"

Rika selected a high energy song with a strong techno beat. As the music started, colored arrows began scrolling up the screens in front of them. The two girls stepped on the corresponding arrows on the dance platform beneath them.

"On second thought, it's actually kind of hard when there are so few steps and it goes so slow like this. Mind if I move it up to Normal?" Rika asked. The game gave them the first 15 seconds of the song to make changes before they'd be stuck with their selections.

"Sure," Mikan replied, agreeing with Rika that Beginner mode seemed too easy.

The pair had a great time dancing to the song. Mikan especially enjoyed herself, waving her arms, shimmying her shoulders, and cocking her hips as she felt the music move through her. She smiled broadly all the way through the song. When it finished, Rika's friends clapped and cheered for them, attracting the attention of some of the arcade's other guests who looked over curiously.

Mikan laughed delightedly as they both curtsied teasingly to Rika's friends. Turning back to the screens, she noted, "Wow, we both got perfect scores!"

Rika grinned. "Would you like to go again? We can try the same song on Advanced mode."

Mikan returned her friendly grin. "You bet! I have one credit left on my game card."

As the music started up again, Mikan had to concentrate harder on the screen. There were a lot more steps this time, many of them specialty steps, and they scrolled up the screen much faster. As with the previous level, both girls embellished their dancing, twisting and even twirling as they got their full bodies into it, both of them enjoying the thrill of the challenge. A small crowd had gathered to watch them; it wasn't often that good competitors appeared on this game and it made for an entertaining spectacle. Rika's friends shouted encouragement. When the song finally ended, the girls had to catch their breath. They turned around at the sound of their small audience cheering and clapping for them. Smiling broadly, they joined hands and gave them a playful bow.

"You did great, Mikan-chan!" Rika squealed as the spectators walked away.

"You, too, Rika-chan! Thanks for letting me dance with you! It was fun!"

Rika smiled. "I should be thanking you for playing with me! I had a great time! Are you here by yourself? Would you like to hang out with us?" Her friends chimed in their agreement with the invitation.

Mikan smiled as she turned away, preparing to step down from the platform. "Thank you for offering, but I'm actually here with—Natsume!" The teenage boy was unexpectedly standing right in front of her with his hands casually shoved in his pockets. Mikan grinned, immediately distracted by her elevated view. "Hey, I'm taller than you up here!"

Natsume smirked. "Barely."

He placed his hands on her waist as she held his shoulders to step down from the platform. His assistance wasn't necessary, but it was a courteous gesture none the less.

Rika's friends eyed Natsume with interest as Rika grinned at Mikan. "Wow, Mikan-chan! Your boyfriend is cute!"

Mikan rolled her eyes as she turned away from Natsume to look back at Rika. "Don't inflate his ego, Rika-chan. His head might explode."

Rika and her friends giggled at her snarky comment. Natsume smirked broadly and took Mikan's hand. She waved over her shoulder as they headed towards the exit.

As Mikan stepped through the door that Natsume held open for her, he commented, "You didn't tell her that I'm not your boyfriend."

Mikan looked up at him curiously. "Did you want me to? You didn't correct the shopkeeper at the jewelry store, so I didn't think I needed to bother. I'm sorry."

Natsume rolled his eyes at her sincere apology. "That was _definitely_ not my point, Polka Dots. I have no problem with someone mistaking me for your boyfriend while we're here." He glanced down at her, surprised that she had remembered the incident in the jewelry store during their last trip to Owase and couldn't help wondering if it meant anything.

Mikan smiled. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure that I hadn't offended you."

Natsume's eyebrows drew together. "Why would that offend me?"

Mikan shrugged innocently. "I don't know; maybe you'd find it uncomfortable to have complete strangers think that I'm your girlfriend when I'm not."

"Did it bother _you?"_

Mikan blinked. "Not at all. It's not like it was important for them to have the right impression of us. I doubt we'll ever see them again."

Natsume nodded, but remained silent. He wasn't entirely sure how to take her casual attitude towards the subject. At first, he'd thought that maybe she hadn't corrected the misunderstanding because she liked the idea of him being her boyfriend, but now it seemed that she simply hadn't paid too much attention to the detail.

As they slowly meandered down the street beneath the heavy gray sky, Natsume asked, "Would you like to stop for lunch?"

"Sure!" Mikan chirped. "I'm pretty hungry now."

Natsume smirked, unsurprised. "What are you in the mood for?"

He was expecting her to suggest something delicate such as sushi, but she grinned broadly and announced, "Barbeque! I can smell the meat cooking and it's making my mouth water."

Natsume barley managed to suppress his grin. He should have known better. Mikan wasn't a prim, delicate oujo-sama and wouldn't pass on an opportunity for good food just because they were on a date and she was wearing a dress.

They had a great time grilling an assortment of meats and vegetables on the tabletop grill in the small barbeque joint. They chatted easily between bites as they ate their food in cycles, pulling things onto their plates as they finished cooking and replenishing the hot surface with raw foods. Mikan's jaw dropped when Natsume snatched a piece of meat with his chopsticks that she'd obviously been reaching for, smirking at her smugly as he did. She flicked a piece of grilled onion at him, laughing when it bounced off his face. She grinned as she reached across the table to wipe a smear of sauce from her missile off his cheek. Natsume raised an eyebrow when she simply stuck her finger in her mouth rather than wiping it on a napkin. She didn't notice his look.

Mikan leaned back in her seat and looked out the open windows when she heard a fast-paced pattering sound. "Oh, phooey! It's raining." They both watched the raindrops pouring outside the windows for a minute before Mikan said softly, "I really do love the rain. It makes me feel so cozy watching it from inside and it's fun to play in sometimes."

Natsume's expression was subtly affectionate as he studied her face. He was thoroughly enjoying himself with her today and was glad that their date wasn't even halfway over yet. He frowned slightly as his eyes returned to the rain. "Rain is nice, but it's going to put a damper on our date."

Mikan turned to him brightly. "It doesn't have to. Why don't we go see a movie after lunch like we did last time?" she suggested optimistically.

Natsume pulled out his cell phone and pulled up the show times. "It looks like the best options are _Captain America: Civil War_ and _Now You See Me 2_. Which would you rather see?"

Mikan grinned. "Definitely _Captain America!_ I would like to see _Now You See Me 2_ sometime since the first one was really good, but I don't want to miss the chance to see a Marvel movie at the theater." Natsume smirked, pleased with her choice.

After paying for their meal, they stepped outside and paused beneath the restaurant's awning, staring out into the rain. Natsume looked down at Mikan and said, "Wait here. I'll run across the street and get an umbrella from that shop."

Mikan smiled. "I'll just come with you. It's too close to make you have to come back for me."

They held hands as they dashed across the street. Mikan shook her head vigorously when they entered the store. "Phew! We made it." Natsume purchased a collapsible black umbrella before they headed towards the theater. They held each other closely as they walked beneath it. Natsume smirked, enjoying the situation. Perhaps the rain wasn't such a terrible thing after all.

Since they'd just eaten lunch, they didn't bother getting snacks at the theater. Natsume would have liked to hold Mikan's hand during the film, but it wouldn't have been worth missing her reactions. As they watched the movie together, she wrung her hands anxiously, gripped the arms of her seat excitedly, and covered her mouth in horror. Out of respect for the other patrons, she was a quieter version of her usual expressive self. She laughed, cried, gasped, winced, and sighed at all the right moments. When the movie ended, she turned to look at Natsume wide-eyed.

"That was _terrible._ "

He smirked, knowing that she wasn't talking about the movie itself, but the conflict between the main characters. "It's called _Civil War,_ Polka Dots. What did you think they were going to do, sit around a campfire singing _Kumbaya_ and roasting marshmallows?"

Mikan looked dejected. "It was _so sad._ Poor Bucky! Poor Steve! Poor Tony!" She suddenly perked up. "Spider-Man was awesome though! And Ant Man and the rest of them. Their fight scene was great even though they were fighting each other. But poor War Machine!" She was back to moaning again. Natsume didn't bother pointing out to her that it wasn't real. She'd always say that there was no point in watching a movie if it didn't stir you emotionally in some way.

Natsume finally took her hand as they stood up and made their way out to the lobby. When they stepped outside, they saw that it had stopped raining. Looking up at Natsume, Mikan asked, "What next, mon capitaine?"

Natsume smirked. "Your French accent is atrocious."

Mikan snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, _excuse me_ for not sounding as good as Ruka-pyon." Their friend was fluent in his mother's native language.

Natsume glanced up at the sky. The clouds still looked dark enough to rain again at some point, so he figured that they should stick to areas with coverage available if they needed it. Their collapsible umbrella was in the side pocket of his black cargo shorts just in case. "Is there anything specific that you'd like to do while we're here?" he asked her.

Mikan looked thoughtful. "I haven't visited the folks at the Owase Temple in a long time, but that's a long walk on wet ground and we didn't bring the car." Looking up at Natsume, she smiled. "It'd be fun to get dessert sometime while we're here, but other than that, I just want to spend time with you."

Natsume's heart skipped a beat. Her face was completely clear as if she hadn't thought twice about the comment. While he had to make the conscious decision to be open with his feelings, she wore hers on her sleeve as naturally as breathing. His face softened, showing her that he was pleased. "Okay. Let's just keep wandering the way we did earlier. We'll make sure to get a snack when we find someplace that looks good."

Mikan nodded. She was having a really good time with Natsume today. He was being sweeter than usual, yet still himself. It had taken her completely by surprise when he'd asked her out this morning, but she was genuinely happy that he did. Their relationship had been growing this summer, but she hadn't spent time worrying about what would happen next. It was more her style to take things in stride and address concerns as they arose. Truthfully, it hadn't even occurred to her that Natsume would do something as straightforward as ask her on a date at this point since he wasn't known for being so open with his emotions, and frankly, Mikan didn't have such a high opinion of herself that she would assume anything about his feelings for her in the first place.

They strolled leisurely through the streets taking in the sights and smells. When they spotted the pet shop, Mikan insisted that they greet the animals for a few minutes. A while later, they stopped to listen to a street musician who impressed them so much that Natsume gave him a fairly generous tip. As they passed by a formalwear shop, Mikan raised an eyebrow curiously at Natsume. "Do you ever wear suits like that? Hotaru showed me a picture of you wearing one once, but that was years ago."

Natsume eyed the black suit in the window and shrugged. "I have to wear a lot of them during the school year."

Mikan smiled, her interest piqued. "Really? What for?"

They kept walking as Natsume answered, "Mostly social events, but sometimes for business."

"What kind of social and business events?" When Natsume quirked an eyebrow at her, Mikan grinned. "Hotaru and Aoi-chan have told me a little bit, but they usually talk about other things, and _you_ aren't exactly chatty about what all you do during the school year, so I'm curious."

Natsume grunted his acknowledgement. What little he did tell her about his life back in Tokyo usually revolved around his friends, soccer, and random points of interest from school or HDI. Her question was simple enough to answer and although he didn't find the topic particularly interesting or enjoyable, he recognized that she was expressing a desire to know more about him, which was a significant part of dating. "There are all kinds of social events, but they mostly just amount to parties—Christmas parties, garden parties, birthday parties, cocktail parties, you name it. If we're invited, we go. Business events are more varied—charity events and fundraisers, gatherings for some organization or society, grand openings and company celebrations, which could be for HDI, one of its clients, or one of its partners. Sometimes Otou-san and Okaa-san go alone, but I usually attend, too, so that I can get the experience and stay connected to the people I'll be doing business with in a few years. I didn't go to as many before middle school, but there were still some that I was expected to attend." After a minute of silence, he glanced down at Mikan. When he saw her frowning slightly, his eyebrows drew together as he asked, "What's up?"

Mikan's voice held a tone of confusion as she asked, "I guess I can sort of understand the business events, but why do you have to go to all of that social stuff? Can't you just decline when you aren't interested?"

Natsume unconsciously squeezed her hand a bit tighter as her question and her confusion brought some of the concerns that he'd addressed with his mother to his mind again. He cleared his throat and explained, "The social circles we run in—'Tokyo high society'— can be temperamental. We do our best to avoid offending anyone and to maintain strong, amiable relationships with anyone tied to HDI. So if one of our major clients invites us to a social dinner at their yacht club, we go out of respect for the business we do together and in an effort to foster good business relationships for the future." He wondered how much of his explanation Mikan understood until she spoke up.

"So it's like those scenes in the American movies where business men get together to play golf and eat lunch? They play together so that they can work together better?"

Natsume smirked, amused by her movie reference. "Sure, it's kind of like that."

Mikan scrunched up her nose. "That sounds phony to me. People should just be nice to each other because they're people, not because they want something from each other, and personal grudges shouldn't affect business. Can't people just agree to disagree sometimes?"

Natsume chuckled. "If everyone thought like you, maybe they could. Unfortunately, most people don't, so we'll just have to keep dealing with the politics."

When they paused at an intersection to wait for the light to change so that they could cross the street, Mikan smiled mischievously at him with a twinkle in her eyes and brought the conversation back around to the start. "Well, I think it's a shame that I don't have more pictures of you all dressed up if you do it so often. I bet you look awfully handsome in a tux."

Natsume smirked broadly. "Come visit me in Tokyo sometime and you can see just how handsome."

Mikan laughed. "There's not a modest bone in your body, is there? I'd love to come visit all of you in Tokyo and it would be fun to see everyone all dressed up for something."

Natsume glanced at her. "Maybe I'll take you on date number two while you're there."

"We haven't even finished date number one!" Mikan laughed, though she blushed warmly at his comment.

Natsume looked her in the eyes when he asked, "Are you enjoying it so far?"

Mikan smiled sincerely. "Very much."

After crossing the street, they spotted a vending machine where Natsume bought them each a drink. They continued perusing the various shops as they walked and sipped their beverages, tossing the empty bottles in a recycling bin when they were finished. When Mikan spotted a secondhand store, she excitedly tugged Natsume in the door. The store was packed with clothes, books, toys, jewelry, electronics, and all manner of knickknacks. Mikan pulled a pink feather boa off a hook and wrapped it around her neck before plucking an enormous red hat off a hat stand and setting it on her head. She posed dramatically and asked Natsume, "How do I look?"

Natsume smirked at her antics. "Ridiculous."

Mikan grinned and quickly snatched a putrid green bowler from the hat stand. She reached up to plant the hat firmly on Natsume's head. When she stepped back to view her handiwork, she snorted before giggling madly. "You look like a leprechaun!" she gasped.

Natsume smirked. "That's because you picked a terrible color." He returned the hat to the stand and chose a slate gray fedora instead. After placing it on his head, he gazed down at Mikan with a smug smile. "Do I look like a leprechaun now?" he asked her, his voice low and silky. He watched as a blush colored her cheeks.

"No, now you look like a western mobster."

Natsume chuckled. "I'd make an awfully good looking western mobster."

Mikan grinned. "You'd make a great yakuza, too, Natsume. I can totally see you covered in dragon tattoos and scars, scowling at everyone while lounging in a black yukata."

Natsume smirked suggestively as he asked her, "Do you have a cosplay fetish, Polka Dots?"

"What's a fetish?" she asked innocently, tilting her head as she blinked at him.

Natsume froze, then quickly turned away from her to hide his grin. "Nothing, Polka Dots. I'll tell you when you're older," he snickered. _Oh, sweet, naïve little baka…_

He moved to return his fedora to the hat stand, but Mikan stopped him. "Wait a sec!" She came to stand next to him and held her cell phone up to snap a picture. Natsume crossed his arms and maintained a serious facial expression while Mikan grinned broadly, her free hand flashing a "V for Victory" sign at the camera. She immediately pulled up the photo after taking it. "Ha! That's awesome, Natsume. You really do look like a western mobster."

Natsume smirked. "You'd enjoy trying a photo booth sometime." When she looked at him curiously, he explained, "They sometimes have shops or booths at theme parks where you can dress up in costume and get your photo taken on a small set."

Mikan grinned. "That sounds _awesome!"_ She'd never been to a theme park, but she really wanted to visit one sometime.

After returning their hats and the feather boa to their proper places, they continued exploring the secondhand shop. They'd been browsing for about ten minutes when Natsume called Mikan over to a clothing rack where he held up a gray sleeveless t-shirt for her to see. "I found your life's moto," he teased her.

Mikan read the black lettering out loud. "There's a 99.9% chance I am hungry." She laughed and reached to look at the price tag. "Only ¥200?! Oh, I am _definitely_ getting that. It'd make a perfect pajama top." Instead of handing it to her, Natsume simply slung the shirt over his shoulder. Mikan smiled and turned to look at the rest of the clothes on the rack. "Oh, wow! Look at this!" She pulled a tea-length burgundy dress from among the clothing and noticed a short black dress that had been hanging just behind it. "I bet these belonged to the same person since they're the same size and similar styles. I'm going to try them on real quick," she told Natsume before heading for the dressing room. Natsume followed her silently and waited beside a tri-fold mirror that stood nearby. He openly stared when she came out wearing the first dress.

"What do you think?" she asked him, twirling once. The off-the-shoulder dress was made entirely out of burgundy lace and featured a wide ruffle that draped across the bodice from shoulder to shoulder, a cinched waist, and a tea-length skirt. The off-the-shoulder, A-line silhouette was perfect for Mikan's frame and the warm color complimented her hair and skin tone.

Natsume swallowed. Honestly, she looked even better in this dress than the one she'd worn for their date today and he decided that one way or another, she would be leaving the shop with it. "You look… good."

Mikan grinned and stepped up to the tri-fold mirror to see for herself. "It's really comfortable. I like the color even though it's darker than most of my wardrobe. Permy told me that I look best in strapless and off-the-shoulder styles, so I've been keeping my eye out for some. I don't wear dresses very often though…" she trailed off.

 _Thank you, Shouda,_ Natsume thought. "Didn't you have something else to try on, too?"

Mikan disappeared into the dressing room again and returned a minute later wearing a very similarly styled, though slightly more casual dress. It was made of black eyelet lace, and like the first dress, it featured a cinched waste and an off-the-shoulder ruffle that draped over her chest and upper arms. The skirt was short rather than tea-length. As she surveyed herself in the mirror, she cocked her head to the side and commented, "This one's cute, too, though I'd probably want to add some color somehow. That was something else that Permy told me. 'Just because you like bright, bold colors doesn't mean that they all look good on you. I'll give you a list of your best colors and when in doubt, stick with neutrals and get your pop of color from your accessories,'" Mikan quoted the fashion maven. Natsume smirked at how well she mimicked Sumire's bossy, confident tone. Mikan continued in her normal voice, "I like the other dress better, but I don't think I have any black dresses." She shrugged. "Now that I know they both fit, I'll just check the price tags." Natsume thought she looked nice in both dresses, but he agreed with her that the first one looked the best.

Mikan returned to the dressing room to change and came bouncing back out a few minutes later with a broad smile on her face as she announced, "They're only ¥500 each! Can you believe that? They're in really good shape for secondhand, too."

She reached for the t-shirt on Natsume's shoulder, but he stopped her and took the dresses from her instead. "I'll ask them to hold these for you at the counter while we keep looking around."

Mikan narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You're not going to try paying for them while I'm not looking, are you?"

Natsume smirked. "What would be wrong with that if I did?"

"I can pay for my own clothes, Natsume. That's not part of the date."

Natsume smiled innocently, which was a rather suspicious look on him. "Fine, you can pay for the clothes yourself."

Mikan eyed him skeptically. "Promise?"

He held up three fingers. "Scouts honor."

Mikan rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Okay. Thanks."

As she wandered off to look at more merchandise, Natsume carried her pajama top and two dresses to the counter. The shopkeeper was a little old lady with black and gray hair pulled back in a bun and a tiny pair of spectacles perched on her nose. Natsume politely asked her if she could keep the clothes until Mikan was ready to pay. As the petite woman folded them and set them behind the counter, Natsume gazed through the glass at the assorted items on display. Glancing behind him to see that Mikan was occupied on the other side of the shop, he leaned towards the elderly shopkeeper to converse with her in hushed tones.

A short while later, Mikan approached the counter to pay for her three items, having not found anything else worth buying. She was pleased to find that Natsume had kept his promise and allowed her to pay for her clothes herself. He did, however, pick up her shopping bag to carry it for her. She smiled and thanked him, slipping her hand into his free one as they left the shop to continue on their way.

They stopped by a little shop that sold candied nuts to get Sakura-ojii-san a small bag of his favorite cinnamon roasted pecans and a second bag for the two of them to snack on later. After another hour of meandering, they paused to study the darkening sky when they heard the distant rumble of thunder. When Mikan was nearly knocked off the sidewalk by a few boys zipping past them on skateboards, Natsume swiftly pulled her out of harm's way. Mikan returned the favor when he began to step away from her without seeing an elderly woman walking behind him. Natsume was surprised when Mikan pulled him close to halt his movement, but quickly noticed the pedestrian that he would have bumped into if she hadn't. Nonetheless, he smirked down at her to tease, "Well, Polka Dots, we can keep holding each other like this if you'd like or we can find somewhere less crowded. What's your preference?"

Mikan smirked right back. "That's enough PDA for me, thank you. There's a park nearby. Let's head there for awhile."

Since the benches were wet from the rain, they simply wandered the small park admiring the summer blossoms. A fountain bubbled and sprayed peacefully, adding a soothing background noise to their walk. They didn't see anyone else in the park, presumably because of the weather. When they spotted a public restroom, Mikan said, "I'm going to stop in here while it's nearby."

Natsume nodded. "I will, too." Mikan took the shopping bag from him before they parted ways to enter their respective sides of the small building.

When Natsume stepped into the men's room, he instantly froze. Two teenagers, one older and the other about his own age, were standing in the bathroom exchanging a wad of cash and a small brown paper sack that Natsume immediately assumed contained something illegal. Briefly, he hoped that it was drugs rather than a worse alternative, such as a gun. The pair whirled towards him the moment he stepped through the door, startled by the unexpected intrusion. Natsume's mind immediately went into training mode, assessing the situation in a heartbeat. He was backing out the door only seconds after entering. He was six feet away by the time the two teens burst outside. His mind zipped through his options as he positioned himself defensively.

 _If I yell, it might draw Mikan out… If I try to pull out my cell phone to call for help, I'll be less prepared for an attack… If I run and they follow, I'll have my back to them… If I run and they don't follow, they'll still be here when Mikan does come out… If I fight, I can disable them long enough to get Mikan, run, and get help._ It was amazing how much clearer and sharper his mind was compared to his last unfortunate encounter with unsavory characters in Owase. He could only attribute it to Mikan's absence from the immediate area. As long as she was in the restroom, these two guys didn't know she was here and she would be safe. His best bet was to resolve this conflict quickly.

Natsume observed his opponents coolly, confident of what he needed to do. As a rule, he'd been trained to use words before actions whenever possible, so he raised his hands disarmingly and said, "I don't want any trouble."

The older of the two teenagers glared at him darkly. "'Wrong place, wrong time' doesn't change that you saw something you shouldn't have." Obviously, he deemed Natsume a witness who needed to be silenced or eliminated altogether. Natsume had figured as much simply from their current scenario and it didn't really change anything. However, the situation was immediately complicated when the older boy pulled a switchblade from his pocket.

Natsume's eyes narrowed on the silver blade. He knew how to handle a knife-fight unarmed, but it was going to be harder in a 2-on-1 match. Thankfully, the boy his own age didn't pull a weapon and appeared less sure of himself than the older boy. He looked a bit sickly to Natsume, who considered the possibility than maybe he _was_ on drugs.

The older teen didn't waste any time bandying words. He lunged at Natsume, thrusting his knife at Natsume's chest. Natsume swiped his left arm through the air to knock the weapon aside while skipping nimbly to the right, keeping both hands up defensively. His opponent stumbled, but recovered quickly, turning towards Natsume and sweeping the blade down and across in a great slashing motion. _Amateur…_ Natsume assessed. While that meant that his opponent was less skilled, it also meant that his movements would be more random and difficult to predict. At least the younger teen hadn't entered the fight yet, possibly out of fear of his associate's knife. He watched silently, twitching nervously as Natsume and the older boy continued to fight.

One minute… two minutes… three minutes… Natsume focused on defense, keeping both of his opponents in his line of sight at all times as he looked for a chance to knock the blade from the active fighter's hand with a minimal chance of getting himself cut or stabbed. When he saw his chance, he swiftly ducked in close to the older boy where he tightly gripped his opponent's knife-wielding arm with one hand and sent his other fist shooting up into the boy's armpit. The blow to the boy's sensitive axillary nerve made his fist reflexively release the knife. Natsume quickly kicked the blade away and used the arm he held to flip his opponent. The teenager landed painfully on his back.

Seeing his associate get taken down, the younger teen decided to bolt. Just as he rounded the corner of the restroom, he ran into someone quite a bit larger than himself. "Where do you think you're going, kid?" The police officer spun the teenager around, pinned him to the side of the small building, and cuffed him. _"Sit down."_

As the officer turned his attention to the other two teenagers, Natsume released his opponent, dropped to his knees, and raised his arms above his head. It was another tactic that he'd been trained to use. Every police officer in Japan was trained by HDI and was taught not to assume who's a good guy and who's a bad guy. By dropping to his knees, Natsume was expressing that he had no intention to run, and by raising his arms to indicate surrender, he was showing that he would cooperate with the officer until it was determined that he wasn't a part of the threat. The officer tossed him a pair of handcuffs as he approached the boy on the ground with another pair. "Cuff your hands behind your back and go sit against the wall."

"Yes, sir," Natsume answered respectfully, following the officer's instructions.

After cuffing the oldest teenager, the officer led him over to the restroom where he joined the row of boys sitting on the ground with their backs to the building. Thankfully, there was a small awning which had kept the wraparound walkway dry. The officer turned away from the trio and called, "You can come out now." Natsume blinked when Mikan skipped out from behind the far corner of the building and came to stand next to the police officer. "Which one of these boys is your friend?"

Mikan grinned at Natsume. "Do I get to pick?" He cocked an eyebrow at her and she giggled. Pointing at him, she said, "That one's mine, sir. Hyuuga Natsume."

The officer (whose family name was Mori according to his name badge) nodded and motioned for Natsume to stand up. As he removed Natsume's handcuffs, two more officers arrived on the scene. While Officer Mori conversed with his backup, Natsume stepped aside with Mikan. "Did you call them?" he asked her curiously.

Mikan smiled smugly. "I sure did. Why? Did you assume that when I came out of the restroom to find you having a random knife fight with two strangers that I would just jump headlong into the fray? No, thank you. I remember how last time went. I stayed safely hidden and called the police."

Natsume smirked and brushed her hair back behind her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Polka Dots. Who knew there was actually a brain in that head of yours to keep your overactive heart in check?"

Mikan surprised him yet again when she simply rolled her eyes and slipped her hand into his. "It was my _heart_ that made me not want to get in your way. With my luck, you'd have ended up getting hurt and I'd have been the reason. I _was_ worried about you, you know. I'm glad you're okay."

Natsume's heart softened at her sincere concern. He'd already known, of course, that she cared about him, but the reminder was nice. He glanced around at the scene unfolding before them. "Unfortunately, this is going to put a real kink in our date plans. We'll both have to give statements to the police and they'll have to contact our guardians since we're both still minors. I should go ahead and call Ikeda-san. He'll need to meet us here since he's our adult chaperone right now."

Mikan smiled. "It's okay, Natsume. Our date isn't over yet and this will make a very interesting first date story."

Natsume appreciated her optimism, but he still wished that they hadn't had to deal with this stroke of bad luck during their first date.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I highly recommend checking out the _This Is High School_ Pinterest page if you haven't been doing so. I posted pictures of most of the arcade games from this chapter and they made me smile with nostalgia. I also posted pictures of the clothes Mikan bought, as well as the outfit she wore on the date. Go to www dot Pinterest dot com forward-slash thisishighschool forward-slash (sorry about having to type out the "dots" and "forward-slashes" on here, Fanfiction won't let me include a web address in my post).

Hope you had fun with all of the fluffy feels in this chapter. As you now know, the date will continue in Chapter 11. I had only intended for it to take one chapter, but it just got to be too long and I didn't want to cut anything. On that note, it's going to take a few chapters longer to get to Tokyo than I had originally planned just because things get so long when I actually write them, but we're getting close, guys, I promise!


	11. More Than Just A Feeling

Chapter 11: More Than Just A Feeling

Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

Natsume's prediction proved correct; they lost over an hour dealing with the incident in the park. Ikeda-san showed up about 15 minutes into the ordeal. The police collected the necessary personal information and took their statements. The brown paper sack that Natsume reported was found in the younger teen's pocket; it contained drugs, which were bagged as evidence along with the wad of cash and the switchblade. Natsume made sure to emphasize to Officer Mori that the younger teen hadn't spoken or entered the fight at any time, knowing that it would make the difference between the boy being charged with drug possession alone or drug possession _and_ assault. The older teen was booked for drug trafficking and assault with a deadly weapon; his case would have to be reviewed by a judge to determine if attempted murder would be added to the list of charges.

Officer Mori spoke to Mikan's grandfather before calling Natsume's mother. He seemed to realize partway through the conversation that Natsume and Kaoru-san were, in fact, _the_ Hyuugas of HDI. Since HDI ran Japan's police force through a government contract, Kaoru-san was technically one of his bosses and Natsume was likely his future boss. Procedurally, he didn't show them any special treatment, but he did change his form of address from the "san" honorific to "sama" when he realized their connection. He handed the phone to Natsume when he was finished.

"Hi, Okaa-san."

"Hi, Natsume-kun." His mother's voice was unexpectedly chipper. "My goodness, you're just gaining all kinds of real world experience in Owase. We should start sending you there for training now and then, let you help clean up the streets."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "I'm not some vigilante hero, Okaa-san."

He could hear the grin in her voice. "I know, but I'm still proud of you. I certainly hope that this doesn't become a common occurrence for you, but it's reassuring to know that your training is paying off and you can handle yourself in dangerous situations. How are you feeling? You sound better than last time."

Natsume glanced at Mikan, who was speaking with Ikeda-san far enough away that he wasn't worried about her overhearing him. Officer Mori was still standing there listening to his side of the conversation, but that didn't bother Natsume. "I feel fine actually. This fight felt a lot more like the ones in the dojo or training simulations. My head was clear and my emotions were in check. You heard from Officer Mori that Mikan wasn't around this time. I think that made a big difference."

"That makes sense, seeing as how your last opponent had hurt her by the time you stepped in. This fight wasn't as personal." Her tone changed as she continued, "Speaking of Mikan-chan, how's your date going?"

Natsume smirked. "It was going just fine until we decided to use the restroom in a drug den."

Kaoru-san laughed. "Well, that's good. I hope this turns out to be just a blip in your day and it gets better again from here, though I'm sorry to say that I think you should spend the rest of your date in Makikawa once the police dismiss you. It's highly unlikely that you would have any more trouble if you stayed in Owase, but I think Sakura-ojii-san would feel better if he knew that Mikan-chan was back in her village for the day."

Natsume understood, though he still felt the sting of disappointment. "Yes, ma'am."

"Is Mikan-chan nearby?"

Natsume looked over at Mikan. She didn't seem to be in the middle of anything, so he called her over. "Okaa-san wants to talk to you," he said as he handed her the phone.

"Hi, Kaoru-san!" Mikan chirped brightly.

"Hi, sweetheart! Are you okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mikan answered with a smile. "I was worried about Natsume for awhile, but he didn't get hurt and the police showed up quickly. He was crazy good though, Kaoru-san! The other guy had a knife and Natsume just took him down! I'll have to start watching my back around him now that I know he's so dangerous." Natsume rolled his eyes at her teasing, but couldn't help feeling pleased that she was impressed by his skills.

Kaoru-san chuckled. "Yes, well if he ever gives you any trouble, just let me know and I'll give him the mama smack-down." Mikan giggled. "Has he been treating you well today? I know for a _fact_ that he can be a perfect gentleman when he needs to be and a date definitely counts as one of those times."

Mikan met Natsume's eyes and grinned. "He's been great. I'm having a really good time."

"That's my boy!" Kaoru-san exclaimed proudly. "You kids have fun, okay? Love you both!"

"Thanks, Kaoru-san! Love you, too!"

After hanging up the phone, Mikan returned it to Officer Mori, who turned to address Natsume. "I thought you seemed unusually well adept at handling this situation for someone your age. So you're Hyuuga-sama's son. I saw you once when you were small while I was attending HDI's training academy in Tokyo. It seems you've learned a thing or two from your family's business."

"Yes, sir," Natsume answered. "I attend classes and training exercises there. It's the best part of my studies."

The officer nodded approvingly. "I'm pleased to hear that. If more people could defend themselves properly, we'd see far less injuries and casualties. You could've been seriously hurt or even killed by that punk. You handled yourself very well." Turning to Mikan, he said, "You did well, too, Oujo-san. It was smart of you to stay hidden and call us for help. The sooner people call us, the better things turn out for everyone." Mikan smiled brightly. She wasn't often complimented for her mental prowess, so the officer's compliment quite pleased her.

Since Ikeda-san was there as their adult chaperone, Natsume and Mikan were released into his custody when the police were finished with them. After bowing to the officers and offering them their thanks, the trio headed back towards the park's entrance. Over the past hour, the wind had steadily picked up as the thunder continued to rumble ominously overhead. When they exited the park, they saw that the street lights had come on and most of the shopkeepers had turned on their signs as the sky had grown dark and foreboding.

"So what now?" Mikan asked as she walked next to Natsume. Ikeda-san carried their shopping bag as he followed along behind them.

"Okaa-san wants us to head back to Makikawa. She said it would probably make your grandfather feel better to know that we're not walking around Owase alone anymore today." Mikan noted the crease between his brows and the downturned corners of his lips. She smiled brightly and slipped her hand into his.

"That's fine! We can just continue our date back home. It looks like it's going to rain again soon anyway. We have Ikeda-san with us now, so it should be okay for us to stop somewhere on our way back to the yacht to pick up something for dessert. It's almost dinner time, so we can eat when we get home and still have the whole evening to spend together."

Natsume squeezed her hand as he shoved his free one in his pocket. There was always a silver lining with Mikan as if she could turn even the sourest lemons into lemonade. His expression cleared as he asked her, "Okay. What would you like for dinner?"

Mikan hummed. "Honestly, omurice sounds _great_ right now, but so does chicken teriyaki. I could also go for soup, salad, veggies…" She smiled sheepishly. "Actually, anything sounds fine, really. If Futaka-san is making it, I'm sure whatever we have will taste great."

Natsume glanced back at Ikeda-san, who nodded before pulling out his cell phone to communicate the requests to Futaka-san. They were more than halfway back to the harbor when they spotted a pastry shop that looked promising for dessert. Ikeda-san waited outside while Natsume and Mikan browsed the delectable looking assortment in the glass case.

"Oh, man, they all look great!" Mikan moaned delightedly.

Natsume smirked at her enthusiasm. "We can get several so that we can both sample a bit of each."

Mikan grinned. "That's perfect! Then let's definitely get one of the little strawberry cakes and one of those caramel things," she suggested, pointing to the two miniature desserts.

Natsume recognized immediately that she had chosen them because she knew that he loved strawberries and caramel. Wanting to be equally considerate towards her, he pointed to a mini chocolate French silk pie. "We should get one of those, too."

Mikan tilted her head. "But you don't like chocolate."

"But you do."

His thoughtfulness warmed Mikan's heart. "Okay," she grinned, "then let's also get one of the little key lime pies."

Natsume nodded. He liked lemon and lime flavored things, and he knew that Mikan liked just about anything when it came to dessert. He ordered the four miniature pastries that they'd selected, then suddenly added one more to the list. Mikan blinked at him curiously. "What's that one?"

Natsume smirked. "You'll find out, Polka Dots."

It didn't take them long to reach the dock from the pastry shop. Lightening split the sky and Mikan had to hold her skirt down as it was whipped about by the wind. Ikeda-san stopped by the boathouse to close their dock rental as Natsume and Mikan went on ahead to the yacht where Natsume lowered the steps. Once Mikan was safely onboard, he waited on the dock for Ikeda-san so that they could undo the lines that secured the yacht in place before boarding and putting up the steps.

Mikan went straight inside the cabin where she deposited their shopping bag on a small side table and placed their pastry box in the mini fridge, having taken both from Ikeda-san before separating. Quickly, she headed for the cabin's tiny restroom. She hadn't clarified to Natsume that she hadn't actually ended up using the one in the park. The sound of the men's bathroom door slamming repeatedly on the other side of the women's bathroom wall had sent her outside to see what was going on before she'd had a chance to relieve herself. Between her speedy investigation and the good luck of a police officer being on patrol right outside the park, help had arrived quickly. In the midst of all the excitement, she'd completely forgotten that she'd had to go.

After straightening her tousled hair in the bathroom mirror, she returned to the main cabin to stare out at the dark horizon. The ocean was churning as the strong winds buffeted the surf into small waves while lightening lit the charcoal gray clouds here and there. She bit her lip as she felt the yacht rock gently beneath her. She was confident that they'd make the 20 minute trip to Makikawa just fine in the stout vessel, but she was worried about Ikeda-san driving from the cockpit above her. The clouds looked ready to burst open at any moment and although the cockpit had a secure awning, it was open all the way around and the winds were sure to send any falling rain towards the unprotected driver.

Natsume and Ikeda-san entered the cabin just as the first drops began to hit the deck. Mikan addressed the driver as he squatted to pull a bright yellow rain poncho from a lower cabinet. "Are you going to be okay out there, Ikeda-san? We can always just wait it out in here if we need to and try going home later."

Ikeda-san smiled at her concern as he unfolded the poncho and put it on. "Don't worry, Mikan-sama, I'll be fine. I was a graduate of the HDI training academy before I came to work for the Hyuugas." Pulling the hood up over his head, he ducked out the door to head for the cockpit.

Mikan turned to Natsume. "What difference does that make?"

Natsume smirked. "It means that he's tough, Polka Dots."

Mikan grinned as they made their way over to a small couch. "So when _you_ graduate from HDI, will that mean you're tough?"

"I'm already tough," Natsume corrected her as he kicked off his sandals and lounged sideways in the corner seat with one foot up on the couch. Like most of the furniture on the yacht, the couch was anchored to the floor so that it wouldn't slide around as the boat rocked on the waves. Mikan plopped down beside him as a massive web of lightning lit the sky all around them. The great roar of thunder that accompanied it was the loudest and closest that they'd heard so far. When the yacht lurched as Ikeda-san started the engine and began guiding them away from the harbor towards the stormy open water, Mikan unceremoniously flopped over in her seat. Natsume instinctively grabbed her arms to steady her. He cocked an eyebrow in amusement as he gazed down at the girl in his lap. "Well, hello to you, too, Polka Dots."

Mikan rolled her eyes as she pushed herself off his chest. "Are you _ever_ going to stop calling me by the print on my underwear from when we were _five?"_

"Nope," Natsume informed her pleasantly. "Not unless you want to show me your bra, then I'll be happy to update your nickname."

"Okay!" she chirped. Natsume's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She grabbed a throw pillow and started hitting him with it. "Of course I'm not going to show you my bra, you great big pervert!"

Natsume chuckled as he snatched the pillow from her and stuck it behind his back. "Let me know if you ever change your mind about that."

Mikan shook her head. "That'll be the day." She turned around in her seat to gaze out the windows at the heavily falling rain. "It's pretty nasty out there," she commented softly.

"This storm's been building up for a few days," Natsume murmured. He gazed at Mikan as she sat with her back to him and one arm hooked over the back of the couch. His eyes wandered over the bare skin of her face, neck, shoulders and arms. She wore a lot of tank tops and short sleeves, and even the occasional halter top, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her wear something completely strapless before. He smirked. "Stand up."

Mikan turned away from the window. "What's wrong?" she asked as she stood up.

She squeaked when Natsume smoothly pulled her back down so that she was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest. He smirked. "That's better."

Mikan blushed, but remained silent. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't like the feeling of his arms wrapped snuggly around her. She was getting used to the fact that Natsume didn't have quite the same platonic effect on her that he'd had in the past. If there was any doubt, she only had to remember that _she_ had kissed _him_ first and not the other way around. In fact, she'd also kissed him on the lips last night when they'd said goodbye at the temple, though at least that time he'd seemed to encourage it by kissing her cheek first and then hovering in front of her until she'd kissed his lips. She had no desire to rush things, but she was truly enjoying the steps they were taking towards being _more,_ whatever more ended up being.

Mikan sighed softly as she pulled her legs up onto the couch and settled comfortably in Natsume's arms. She had nothing to compare it to, but it seemed to her that she fit absolutely perfectly there. Unbeknownst to her, Natsume was thinking the exact same thing. He savored her gentle weight against him and the softness of her skin beneath his hands. If time could have frozen them there on that couch in a cabin on a yacht in the middle of a thunderstorm, they'd have both been completely content.

They gazed silently out the windows at the raging storm as they made their way towards Makikawa. The howling wind and rumbling thunder sounded oddly soothing as they felt the movement of the boat beneath them. A little over halfway there, Natsume shifted slightly to reach one hand into his pocket. Mikan suddenly found herself staring at a small white box. "What's this?" she asked curiously as she took it from him.

Natsume kept his face neutral behind her. "It's a first date gift. I don't know if first date gifts are really a thing, but I've heard Koko talk about getting gifts for Shouda often enough that I figured it couldn't hurt. I found it in that secondhand shop."

Mikan smiled delightedly. "Wow! Thank you, Natsume! How did you get it without me seeing?"

He smirked, happy that she sounded so pleased. "I got it when I took your clothes up to the counter for you. You were sufficiently distracted looking at other things and since I didn't pay for your clothes, you didn't suspect that I'd already bought anything else."

Mikan grinned. "You're sneaky. I can open it now, right?" When he made a sound of approval, she lifted the box's hinged lid. She was silent two heartbeats longer than Natsume expected her to be, but when she slowly sat up, lifted a hand to briefly touch her earlobe, then twisted around to face him, he saw her look of awe. "Natsume, it's _perfect!"_ Her eyes returned to the open box in her hand.

Natsume's expression softened. "I know you don't wear jewelry very often, but I thought you'd like to have something to go with your mother's earrings when you do."

Mikan pulled the gold ring from the box and slipped it onto her right ring finger. She held it up for them to admire. The ring featured a small pearl flanked on each side by three tiny accent diamonds; according to the shopkeeper, it was the genuine article. It was a simple design that went perfectly with the pearl stud earrings that Mikan was already wearing. Her heart swelled at the sentimentality of the gift and at the kindness of the act itself. When she turned her gaze to him, Natsume could see the sincerity shining in her golden amber eyes. "Thank you. It's wonderful— _beyond_ wonderful. Thank you just doesn't even seem to cut it. Natsume, how can I thank you for this?"

Natsume wasn't expecting her to do anything to thank him for it, but her earnest question immediately brought an answer to his mind anyway. His heart began to race in his chest as he gazed solemnly back at her and answered softly, "Kiss me."

Mikan blinked, blushed, glanced at his lips, then met his eyes once more. She quickly decided that she didn't mind his request. She'd enjoyed their kisses so far and now that he'd suggested it, she actually found herself feeling a bit excited by the prospect of kissing him again. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she leaned her arms on his chest for support and brought her face close to his. Her eyelids fluttered shut the moment before their lips met. His were warm and surprisingly soft. She smiled against them and felt the tiniest of sighs escape her chest. She felt one of his arms hold her securely around the waist while his other hand moved to the back of her neck. The warmth of his hand on her skin sent a wave of contentment through her.

Natsume was quickly swept away as they kissed each other softly, gently, affectionately. Now that they'd kissed a few times before this, he was in the frame of mind to experiment a little. After a minute, he tilted his head to kiss her more deeply, pressing his lips to hers more firmly, but still keeping his movements slow and simple. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes opened when he heard the faintest moan resonate from the back of Mikan's throat. She didn't even seem to notice. He closed his eyes again and savored the kiss for a moment more before they both stilled. They gazed at each other as their heart rates slowly returned to their normal rhythm.

Natsume smirked as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I could get used to this."

Mikan's blush darkened. "Well, _don't."_

His smirk only widened. "I'm serious. You should thank me like this all the time."

Mikan lightly slapped his arm. "Yeah, _right."_ She snuggled down on her side, pressing her face against his chest to hide her rosy cheeks and embarrassed smile. Natsume held her close and slowly took a deep breath. _So this is what it would be like to have Sakura Mikan as my girlfriend, huh…_ He smiled.

Neither of them said another word until they approached the dock. It was still raining heavily, so they put their cell phones and wallets in the shopping bag and tied it shut to keep everything dry. They chose to carry their sandals, knowing that the shoes would get soaked and covered in sand if they tried to wear them across the beach in this downpour. Mikan pulled the pastry box from the mini fridge before they headed out onto the deck. The awning that covered the dock next to the boathouse shielded them from the rain as they disembarked and secured the yacht. The trio made a mad dash for the vacation house, but their efforts were futile as they were each soaked to the bone well before making it in the front door.

"Phew! We made it!" Mikan exclaimed. A chill ran down her spine from the cold air conditioning on her wet body. Every strand of her long caramel tresses either clung to her or hung limply down her back. Her dress had become a second skin, the weight of the wet material pulling the strapless neckline lower than it had started. Her bare feet and legs were splattered with wet sand.

Komaki-san, one of the Hyuuga family maids, had been passing through the foyer when they'd entered the house. Natsume handed her the pastry box and asked her to take it to the kitchen before bringing them some towels. When he turned around and saw Mikan, he frowned. She was obviously freezing. Her shoulders were hunched and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. She was shivering as rainwater dripped in a puddle on the floor around her. He barely hesitated before walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her tightly. Even though he was wet, too, he figured that any warmth he could offer her while they waited for towels was better than nothing. Mikan gratefully pressed herself as close to him as she could. After a moment, she stopped shivering.

When Komaki-san returned with the towels, they dried off as best they could. They draped their towels around their shoulders like capes as they started up the stairs to head for their bedrooms. When they reached the right floor, Mikan sneezed. "Uh, the air conditioning feels so cold when we're wet!"

Natsume gazed at her silently. To him, she looked more beautiful wrapped in a towel with wet, messy hair, shining amber eyes, and naturally rosy cheeks than any of the girls at his school with their designer clothes and expensive makeup. When his eyes landed on the bit of cleavage peeping out above the wet neckline of her dress, his stomach clenched as the warm, tantalizing feeling of teenage desire settled there. He swallowed as an image of himself taking hold of her towel and using it to pull her forward so that he could plant a kiss on her lips flashed through his mind. Instead of fulfilling the fantasy, he told her, "You should go warm up. I'll ask Futaka-san to send dinner up to the theater. I'll meet you there."

Mikan nodded with a smile. Natsume watched her walk down the hallway until she disappeared inside her guest room. As he showered and changed, he thought about how much easier is was to drop his guard around her than he'd expected it would be, now that he had a reason to do so. He knew that the purpose of opening up around her and fleshing out his feelings for the girl was to help him decide whether they really could be more than just friends or not, and whether making a romantic relationship between them work was worth facing the obstacles in front of them. As he reflected on their history together, what they'd had of their first date so far, and his feelings for her, he couldn't help thinking that the answer seemed pretty obvious.

Mikan hung her wet clothes in the bathroom before showering thoroughly. Once she was squeaky clean, she drew a hot bath and sank into the tub. She sneezed twice in a row as she soaked. When she was finished, she decided to dry her hair with the blow drier, which she didn't normally bother to do. She preferred to just let it air dry, but right now, she wanted to feel completely dry and cozy. She left her long, dry hair down as she went to look through the guest room's dresser for something to wear. After changing into a clean bra and panties, she was surprised to find that she didn't have any tops left. She would have to remember to bring some more clothes over from home. She pulled on a soft, fuzzy pair of pink pajama pants before turning to grab her cell phone so that she could text Natsume. When she couldn't find it, she suddenly remembered that she'd put it in their shopping bag to protect it from the rain and they'd left the bag downstairs by the front door.

She stuck her head out into the hallway, careful to hide her shirtless torso behind the door. "Natsume!" she called loudly, hoping that he was still in his room at the far end of the hall and hadn't gone upstairs to the home theater yet. A few seconds passed before Natsume's bedroom door opened. He stepped out wearing a pair of navy blue basketball shorts and a soft, fitted gray t-shirt. He quirked an eyebrow at her silently. "Can I borrow a shirt, please?"

He blinked. "Why?"

Mikan smiled innocently. "Because I ran out of my own. I'll bring some more from home next time I come over."

Natsume wordlessly disappeared back into his room before reappearing with a black t-shirt in hand. He stood outside his door with a smug look on his face. Mikan tilted her head at him curiously. "Aren't you going to bring it to me?"

Natsume's tone was mild and pleasant. "I'm already doing you a favor by loaning it to you, so you can come get it yourself."

Mikan's cheeks turned pink as she glared at him. "I am _not_ walking down this hallway in my bra, Hyuuga Natsume. You've already seen me in nothing but a towel today, you pervert, so you _owe_ me. If you're not going to bring me the shirt, then I'm going to stay in this room _by myself_ until someone happens to come by who'll bring me one."

Natsume rolled his eyes and smirked teasingly at her as he walked down the hallway. "It was worth a shot."

Mikan smirked back at him. "No, it wasn't. You should know me well enough to not even bother asking."

Natsume's expression actually softened at her statement. "I do." When she took hold of the shirt that he offered, he didn't let go of it right way. "But you should know _me_ well enough to know that I'm always going to bother asking anyway."

It was Mikan's turn to roll her eyes as she smiled at his absurdity. "Why?"

"Because it's worth it to tease you." His voice became silky as he leaned forward to look her suggestively in the eyes. "And because someday, you might actually say yes." Mikan's blush turned crimson as she yanked the shirt from his hand and slammed the door in his face. _That pervert is ridiculous!_

She busied herself with opening the folded shirt. It was emblazoned with the logo for a video game called _Rage of Bahamut._ She quickly pulled it over her head and noted that it was much too big for her, but it served its purpose. When she stepped out into the hallway, she saw that Natsume was leaning against the wall. He smirked at the sight of her. There was something oddly enticing about seeing her wearing his clothes. When she thanked him for the shirt, he merely nodded. He reached into his pocket and withdrew her cell phone and wallet. "Komaki-san brought our shopping bag up a while ago," he explained as he handed her things to her.

Mikan looked at him quizzically. "Then why didn't you just bring me the shirt I bought from the store?"

"I could have," Natsume drawled, "if Komaki-san hadn't offered to wash your new clothes for you."

"Ah," Mikan replied. "Well, since they were secondhand, it's probably a good thing that they get washed before I wear them." She tossed her wallet onto her bed before checking her cell phone. She'd missed a call from her grandfather, so she quickly called him back. Natsume listened silently. She smiled at him when she hung up. "Jii-chan wants me to spend the night here. He doesn't want me trying to get home in this weather."

Natsume was thrilled. He hadn't been looking forward to her leaving, but also hadn't wanted to ask her to spend the night since it would just be the two of them and he'd doubted that her grandfather would approve of the idea. He was grateful that the weather had provided a good enough excuse for the priest to actually suggest it himself. Pleased, he gripped Mikan's hand as they headed upstairs to the home theater. He looked down with he felt something on her finger. She was still wearing the ring he'd given her even though she'd removed her earrings. He felt his heart warm even more.

A short while later, they were sitting next to each other on the couch eating dinner off of lap trays as they watched _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring._ Futaka-san had made everything that Mikan had mentioned to Natsume and Ikeda-san, including omurice, chicken teriyaki, miso soup, side salad with ginger dressing, and roasted vegetables. Mikan knew that she would never be able to finish everything on her tray, but she'd still been delighted that her requests had been fulfilled so completely. It made her feel special that Natsume was truly trying to please her today, even in small ways such as letting her choose what to have for dinner and what movie to watch. When they'd eaten their fill, they set their trays on the snack bar. Several minutes later, Komaki-san slipped in the door to remove them. Before she left, she let them know that she'd put their desserts in the snack bar's fridge.

About an hour into the movie, Mikan glanced at Natsume. She felt fresh from her shower and comfortable in her clean pajamas. Her belly was full and she could hear the storm still raging outside the windows. She was really in the mood to snuggle, but she was still hesitant to invade Natsume's personal space so completely without an invitation. All of this affectionate intimacy was new to her and she wasn't yet confident enough to openly pursue her desires. When they'd snuggled a couple weeks ago during the sleepover the night after the Summer Solstice Festival, it had just sort of happened. If she wanted to snuggle with Natsume again, she would have to say so or just do it, and she didn't think that she could bring herself to do either. When he caught her eye and asked her what was up, she blushed and looked back at the screen. "Nothing."

Natsume wasn't buying it. "You're a terrible liar, Polka Dots. What's up?" He watched as she bit her lip. Whatever she was thinking, he could tell that she was a bit embarrassed by it.

Mikan wasn't used to feeling shy, but that's exactly how she felt. Natsume had done most of the initiating between them so far and the idea of admitting out loud that she wanted to be physically close to him made her heart beat faster with nerves. Natsume waited patiently for her to answer him, curious about what was on her mind. She finally gathered her courage. "I was just thinking… that it might be nice… to sit a little closer… to you."

Her words gave Natsume the context he needed to easily read her body language. Her eyes were fixed on the projector screen, her cheeks were tinted pink, and her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. She looked adorable. His heart tripped at the knowledge that she wanted to be close to him. He wisely refrained from teasing her about her desire or the shyness it brought out in her. Having her closer would make him only too happy, so he didn't want to give her any reason to resist the urge. He kept his tone even and casual. "Then get over here, Polka Dots. Our date's not over yet." He shifted his body to the side and stretched his legs out on the couch, plopping them in her lap.

It did the trick. Mikan's shyness evaporated at his nonchalant response. She shoved his legs off her lap so that she could crawl up next to him. As she settled against him, he looked around. "We need a blanket." Mikan agreed and before Natsume could offer to get one for them, she climbed over him to grab one from the tall cabinet in the corner of the room. She draped it over Natsume's body and he held it back for her as she curled up beside him again. This time, when she was comfortable, they continued watching the movie, both of them silently relishing the warm, intimate snuggles.

Since she was pressed so closely against him, Natsume could feel her emotional reactions to the story playing out on the screen. Her body shook when she giggled at the humor and tensed when there was danger. After a major character death, her tears wet his shirt as she whimpered quietly. Even though he rolled his eyes at her emotional investment in a fictional character, he ran his fingers through her hair soothingly until the scene had passed. The movie still had another hour left to go when there was suddenly a tremendous roar of thunder and the screen went blank.

"Crap," Natsume muttered. "Looks like the power's out."

Mikan sounded worried. "That's not good. The few times I can remember Makikawa losing power, it was the entire village and we had to wait a long time for help from the power plant to reach us. We're so small and secluded out here and the bigger cities like Owase take precedence over us."

Natsume slid off the couch and made his way through the darkness to manually open the windows' blackout curtains. It wasn't much, but the lightning provided just enough light to see by as he went searching through a cabinet in the snack bar for a flashlight. While Imai Tech had retrofitted the home theater with state-of-the-art technology, HDI had provided an emergency supply kit for every room in the house. When his groping hands finally found a flashlight and turned it on, Natsume used it to find a large, battery operated lantern and set it up on the snack bar.

Mikan smiled. The lantern was surprisingly bright, giving them plenty of light to see around the room. She hopped up from her seat. "What should we do now?"

Natsume smirked. "We could tell ghost stories."

"No, thank you," Mikan immediately shut down his idea. "Do you want to play _Splendor?"_ she suggested.

"Sure. We haven't played that one in awhile," Natsume answered. "I'll have to go get it if we want to play it in here though."

"I'll come with you."

As the pair made their way downstairs with the flashlight, Mikan asked, "Will the staff be alright?"

"They all know where the emergency kits are stored," Natsume reassured her. When they reached the ground floor, they met Ikeda-san.

"Natsume-sama, Mikan-sama, are you both okay?"

"We're fine," Natsume answered.

"We're going to take a board game upstairs," Mikan chipped in.

Ikeda-san smiled. "Very good then." He bowed before walking off with his own flashlight towards the kitchen to check on some of the other staff.

When they'd retrieved the game from a cabinet in the ground floor parlor, they headed back upstairs where they played on the snack bar by the light of the lantern. _Splendor_ was a simple game played with cards and tokens each bearing the image of a precious gemstone. They took turns collecting gemstones worth different point values and spending them to purchase more valuable jewels. The first player to obtain a gem collection worth a certain point value was the winner. Mikan liked the game because of all the "pretty, sparkly jewels." Natsume enjoyed it for its simple math-based strategy that still depended on a certain element of luck. They were neck and neck when by a stroke of good fortune Mikan snagged a zero point ruby that completed a specific set of gemstones worth three bonus points. She cheered excitedly, "I won! I did it! I actually beat you!"

Natsume chuckled as he threw his cards down. "Well, what do you know, miracles do happen."

Mikan giggled. "Hey! Be happy for me. I don't manage to beat you very often."

Natsume smirked. "That's because I'm a genius."

" _Hotaru's_ a genius. You're just a smarty pants."

Natsume snorted, amused by her childish name calling. He helped her clean up the game before asking what she was in the mood for next. She grinned. "Dessert!"

Komaki-san had arranged each of the pastries on its own little dessert plate and provided two forks and two spoons. They quickly pulled them out of the fridge and shut the door to keep the cool in since the power was out. After lining them up on the snack bar, Mikan squealed with delight. "This looks _amazing!"_

Natsume smirked and stuck his fork in the light vanilla sponge cake layered with decadent whipped cream and sweet fresh strawberries. Mikan joined him in sampling the cake and moaned with pleasure. "Oh my goodness, Natsume, I think I could die happy right now."

"Please don't."

Mikan laughed as they moved on to the key lime pie. Her lips puckered at the tart sweetness. She especially liked to get a bite with some of the crumbly graham cracker crust and smooth whipped cream topping. Natsume enjoyed tart and bitter flavors such as lemon, lime, and raspberry. He suggested that they try his mystery dessert next.

"So what is this?" Mikan asked as she studied the round, puffy looking pastry. It reminded her of a snowman. The top of the pastry puff had been dipped in a thin layer of chocolate and trimmed with a stiff white cream. A smaller, identical pastry puff sat on top of the first one, held in place by the hardened chocolate in between them.

Natsume explained, "It's a French pastry called a 'nun.' They normally have a whipped chocolate filling, which is why I don't prefer them, but this one is different. The place we got these must make them as a special item because I've never actually seen one made this way before. When I read the label, I wanted us to try it."

Mikan eyed him suspiciously. "And you're not going to tell me what the difference is until I taste it?"

Natsume smirked. "Eat up, Polka Dots." He watched her closely as she pulled the smaller puff off the top and popped it in her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes widened and then rolled back in her head as she closed them. She groaned, placing her head in her hands. She turned her face towards him.

"It's coffee, right?"

Natsume nodded smugly as he used his fork to cut the base puff in half. "Instead of chocolate, they filled it with a mocha mousse."

"Uh, it's _so good…"_ she moaned.

When he tried the unique flavored nun, Natsume completely agreed with her. Even though he wasn't particularly a coffee drinker, he loved the flavor. He hadn't been sure what Mikan thought of coffee as a dessert flavor, but her enthusiastic response to the pastry had given him his answer. She remained still with her head in her hands until Natsume was ready to move on. "Come on, Polka Dots, we've still got two more to go."

Mikan sat up. "I don't know if my heart can take any more. These are seriously amazing. How have we never tried that shop before?"

Natsume shrugged. "We probably just haven't run into it. There are other pastry shops in Owase. Besides, who knows how long it's even been there?"

Mikan sighed. "Well, I think it might have just become one of my favorite places on Earth."

Natsume smirked. She really was easy to please and that aspect of her personality might come in handy depending on how things went between them. He took another bite of the key lime as Mikan savored a taste of the chocolate French silk. They both switched out their forks for spoons to share the last dessert, a caramel trifle in a clear plastic cup that showed off the layers of crumble, cream, and caramel.

When she'd had her share of the trifle, Mikan tossed down her spoon. "Okay, let's finish off that coffee nun and then I'm _done."_ They shared what was left of the surprise dessert before returning the others to the fridge.

Mikan dragged herself over to the couch where she flopped down on her back and draped an arm over her eyes. "I think I'm in a sugar coma."

"Was it worth it?" Natsume asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Even though the lantern on the snack bar at the back of the room cast Mikan in shadow, he could still see her lips pull back in a wide smile below her arm.

"Definitely worth it."

Natsume eyed the space beside her.

 _Don't hold back…_

He slid his arm beneath her as he laid down beside her, hugging her like a teddy bear and resting his head on her chest the same way that she'd done to him earlier. This was the first time they'd reversed roles and Natsume was immensely pleased when Mikan wrapped one arm around him and brought the other up to brush his hair back. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"Was going on a date with me worth it?"

Mikan smiled. She rested her cheek on top of his head. _"Definitely_ worth it."

They rested comfortably and allowed their dessert filled stomachs to settle as they listened to the sounds of rain and thunder outside the window. It wasn't long before Mikan felt herself dozing off. She sighed and shifted. "I should go to bed." She felt Natsume's arms tighten around her. "Natsume?"

"Stay."

She blinked. "Huh?"

Natsume pulled his arm out from under her to prop himself up. Mikan searched his garnet eyes as he gazed down at her solemnly. "Stay with me, Mikan," he whispered. "I want you to stay with me."

Mikan's heart leapt when he said her name. They'd been together all day and he hadn't said it once, not even when he'd come to the temple to ask her out this morning. She loved it when he said her real name and couldn't hold back the smile it brought to her lips. "Okay, but I need to go brush my teeth and use the restroom first." Natsume's head immediately flopped back down on her chest as he resumed holding her tightly. Mikan laughed as she wriggled in his embrace. "Natsume! Let me go! I'll come right back, I promise." When he didn't budge, she threatened, "You know I'm just as stubborn as you are, so if you don't let me go, I _will_ pee on this couch just to make you regret it."

Natsume sighed and released her. As they both stood up, he smirked and warned her, "You've already given me your word, Polka Dots, so if you don't come back, I'll hunt you down. I know where your room is."

Mikan grinned as they headed out the door together, grabbing the flashlight and the lantern from the snack bar as they went. "I'll be back," she assured him again. As they made their way downstairs, her eyes narrowed as she added, "Don't rush me though. If you break down my door because you've decided that I'm not coming back after only a few minutes, I'll tell Kaoru-san."

Natsume's lips twitched. "I wouldn't have to break it down. I can just pick the lock."

Mikan looked surprised. "HDI taught you how to pick locks?"

Natsume shook his head as they reached their floor. "HDI didn't teach me that, although they could've. Imai and I were bored one time, so we found an internet tutorial."

"And taught yourselves how to pick locks?" Mikan laughed.

Natsume smirked. "Your best friend is good for things like that." It was true. Hotaru and Natsume's relationship might look like an odd one from the outside, but they shared certain interests and personality traits, and they respected each other. They made for an interesting, incredibly capable duo.

As Mikan stood in her guest bathroom preparing for bed by the light of the lantern, she reflected on the time they'd spent together and her blossoming feelings for her handsome childhood friend. Her cheeks flushed with happiness as she thought about the warmth of his hand in hers, their silly teasing, his incredible garnet eyes when he was gazing at her and nothing else, the way her heart soared when they kissed… Today had just been a continuation of a deepening of their relationship that had been happening slowly all along and although she wasn't thinking too hard about their destination, she was enjoying every moment of the journey. She smiled at her reflection.

 _I really could fall in love with Hyuuga Natsume…_

In his bedroom down the hallway, Natsume's thoughts were very similar. He'd always kept a very solid barrier between himself and romance, both from a lack of interest in the girls around him and a knowledge of how delicate a situation he could find himself in if he wasn't careful, given his position. Every girl who'd ever batted her eyelashes at him or simpered primly trying to catch his interest had found him immovable. Not a single one had ever warmed his heart, filled his head with thoughts of her, lit a fire in his stomach, or made him long for her when they were apart. Mikan did all of those things to him and more.

 _I might actually fall in love with Sakura Mikan..._

When Natsume returned to the home theater, it was empty. He considered going back downstairs to wait for Mikan outside her bedroom, but a brighter light than his flashlight suddenly filled the room from behind him. He turned around to see Mikan holding the lantern as she shut the door behind her. She smiled when she spotted him. "You beat me…" She yawned widely before finishing her sentence. "…back."

Natsume smirked. "Let's go to sleep, Polka Dots."

Mikan nodded sleepily. Natsume turned off his flashlight and set it on the side table before taking the lantern from Mikan and setting it there, too. He laid down first and made sure that they were both covered with the blanket before he reached up over his head to turn off the light. He held her close as she snuggled against his chest.

Mikan sighed and mumbled, "Thank you for today, Natsume…"

He closed his eyes and breathed her in. _Raspberries and tangerines…_

As they fell asleep together, the heavy rain drops splattered against the windows while the lightning crashed and the thunder roared.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** There are some great pictures from this chapter on the Pinterest page.

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 11! Chapter 12 will cover more of Natsume and Mikan's week "alone" in Makikawa, so look forward to it!


	12. To Be A Neighbor

**Author's Note:** To all of my wonderful readers and reviewers, I love you guys so much! There were so many wonderful comments left for the previous chapter and I enjoyed reading every single one of them. You guys make keeping up with this story and posting weekly well worth it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

* * *

Chapter 12: To Be A Neighbor

Thursday, July 7th, 2016

Natsume rolled onto his stomach, an arm and a foot hanging over the edge of the couch. He opened his eyes to slits as his mind slowly woke up. It took him a minute to realize that something was missing.

 _Mikan…_

He looked over at the window to see that although the rain had stopped, the cloudy gray sky remained, making it difficult to estimate the time. Feeling too tired and lazy to pull his cell phone out of his pocket, he closed his eyes again. _Maybe she's just using the restroom and she'll be back soon…_

Sure enough, Mikan slipped quietly back into the home theater just a minute or two later. When she saw that Natsume was taking up the entire couch, she decided to go up to her guest room to finish sleeping rather than wake him up to move.

"Where are you going?"

Mikan turned around at the sound of Natsume's low voice mumbling behind her. She smiled. He still had his eyes shut and looked thoroughly sleepy. "To bed. You're taking up the couch." She grinned and tried not to giggle when he scrunched up his face. He looked _so cute._

"Excuses, excuses," he muttered, rolling onto his side and pulling back the blanket. When Mikan was securely back on the couch beside him, he covered her with the blanket and snuggled her close.

Mikan breathed deeply. If she had to pick a favorite part of sleeping with Natsume, it would have to be his warmth. Nothing made her feel cozier than being comfortably warm and shielded from the cold. Even with the air conditioning off, her body temperature was low from being asleep all night. That thought reminded her to tell Natsume that the power was still out, but he was breathing so lightly that she thought he might be asleep again already, so she decided to tell him later.

They were both worn out from their busy week and slept in later than usual. When they finally stretched and wiped the sleep from their eyes, it was almost 8:30. Natsume yawned before shifting down the couch a bit so that he was lying face to face with Mikan. She smiled at him and whispered, "Good morning."

He gazed at her softly for a moment before a crease formed between his eyebrows. "Did you leave earlier?"

Mikan's smile broadened. "Yep. I went to use the bathroom. You were hogging the couch when I got back, so I tried to leave, but you made me stay."

Natsume's expression cleared. "So that _was_ real."

Mikan grinned. "Yes, it was. You were still really sleepy."

Natsume smirked. "Give me a break, Polka Dots. I took down a drug dealer yesterday."

Mikan's amber eyes twinkled mischievously. "Was that the highlight of your day?"

Natsume smirked. "No." Before he could question himself or hesitate, he gave her a short, sweet, tender kiss. _"That_ was the highlight of my day." He thought she looked both beautiful and adorable when she blushed.

Mikan's heart beat rapidly in her chest. She threw back their shared blanket and rolled off the couch onto her feet. "That's really not fair, kissing me first thing in the morning like that."

Natsume smirked, delighted by the effect that he had on her. "Why?"

Mikan wouldn't look at him as she answered, "Because my heart isn't prepared yet. It hasn't had a chance to wake up for the day."

Natsume sat up as he teased, "Does that mean I can kiss you again later?" He decided that she looked cute when she fidgeted, too.

Her mind told her to say "no," but when she spoke, the answer that came out was "Maybe..."

Natsume smirked. Deciding that he'd teased her enough for the time being, he changed the subject. "I wonder if the power's back on."

"It's still out," Mikan informed him as he stood up. "At least it was when I went to use the restroom earlier. The water still works, but it's just as cold as it was last night since the hot water heater is off." Natsume nodded.

The house felt warmer than usual as they headed downstairs to the kitchen where they found most of the staff, who greeted the two teenagers when they walked in the door. Mikan stared curiously at a box-shaped machine sitting on the floor making a whirring noise. She could see the symbol for Imai Tech on the side. The fridge had been pulled away from the wall and was currently plugged into the machine. "What's that?"

"It's a high efficiency generator," Natsume told her. "Imai Tech makes this model exclusively for HDI. It's keeping the fridge running so that the food doesn't spoil."

"There's another one running that air conditioner in the window there. We hooked up the one for the fridge last night, but we didn't pull the air conditioner out of storage until early this morning after the power hadn't come back on," Ikeda-san pointed out.

Mikan smiled. "So that's why it's so much cooler in here."

"It's the coolest room in the house right now, which is why we're all in here. Without electricity, there's less that we can do, I'm afraid," Ikeda-san explained.

Mikan grinned. "Then you should all just take it easy today. There's no sense in getting hot and sweaty working around the house without air conditioning, and everything is in great shape anyway."

The staff collectively turned to look at Natsume. He nodded. "She's right. There's nothing we can do about the power except wait for it to come back on, so please feel free to consider yourselves off duty until then."

They smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Natsume-sama. I'll take a walk around the property to see if there's anything that needs to be cleaned up outside," Ikeda-san promised.

Futaka-san smiled warmly as she said, "We managed to fix breakfast with the help of the generators. What would you both like? We've got eggs, bacon, fruit, toast, yogurt, granola, cereal, and salad."

Mikan skipped over to the middle-aged chef to gaze around the assorted breakfast options. "Hmm… I'd like some eggs, bacon, fruit, and salad, please."

As Futaka-san assembled her plate, Mikan glanced at Natsume. With a grin, she said, "Let me guess. You want eggs, bacon, cheese, and hot sauce grilled between two slices of toast."

Natsume smirked. "That wasn't an option, Polka Dots."

Futaka-san smiled broadly. "The griddle can easily be plugged into one of the generators, Natsume-sama, if that's what you'd like to have. I've got plenty of cheese in the fridge."

Natsume nodded. "Thank you, Futaka-san."

The chef smiled as she handed Mikan her plate. "You'll make a fine wife someday, Mikan-sama. When you find someone you want to marry, just remember that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Natsume smirked when Mikan grinned and replied, "I think it might be the way to my heart, too, Futaka-san. We had these pastries from a shop in Owase last night that almost made me cry they were so good." She hopped up on a barstool next to Natsume to eat her breakfast at the counter.

"I saw them when Komaki-san brought them in and plated them for you. They looked lovely, almost as good as Umenomiya's."

"Is that a bakery in Tokyo?" Mikan asked as she watched Futaka-san grill Natsume's breakfast sandwich.

"It's really a chain of bakeries, though the main one is in Tokyo. Best desserts I've ever tasted. They say the owner is a confectionary genius and after tasting the desserts that we've had catered from there, I'm inclined to agree."

Mikan grinned at Natsume. "Can we go there sometime?"

He smirked. "If you make the trip to Tokyo."

Mikan bounced on her barstool excitedly as she ate. She tried to slap Natsume's hand when he snatched a piece of bacon off her plate, but he was too quick for her. "Hey, give that back!"

Natsume grinned at her tauntingly, showing her the piece of bacon sticking out from between his teeth. Mikan rolled her eyes. "Futaka-san, may I have a few more strips of bacon, please? The bottomless pit next to me _stole_ one and I need ammunition to keep him at bay while I eat my breakfast."

All around the enormous kitchen, the staff smiled. It was nice for them to see the two youngsters jesting with each other. They all adored Mikan in one way or another. She was bright, kind, cheerful, and always treated them with warmth and respect. Natsume had earned their admiration in his own right; he wasn't spoiled despite his family's wealth and position, and always treated everyone with fairness and justice. It was the collective opinion of the staff that he would one day make a fine master of the Hyuuga family.

As Natsume was finishing his sandwich, Mikan's phone beeped. He eyed her curiously as she frowned intently at the screen. She suddenly hopped down from her stool, slipped her phone into her pocket, and headed to the sink with her dirty dishes. "I've got to go."

Quickly, Natsume swallowed his last bite and moved to clean up his plate, too. "What's wrong?" Mikan was already making her way to the kitchen door, so he hurried to catch up to her.

"The storm did some damage at the Watanabe's farm. The school is asking for any available students to come help."

Natsume frowned. Mikan seemed in an unusual rush for what sounded like a simple volunteer project. She was heading straight for the front door. "Aren't you going to get your stuff from upstairs?"

Mikan slipped into her shoes as she replied, "I can get it later."

"Your mother's earrings are up there."

Mikan paused and bit her lip. Natsume stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders as he studied her face. "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Mikan's eyes were full of compassion and conviction as she explained, "Because this is _important._ Ayaka-chan's family needs my help. The school's text alert system only gets used in an emergency and the fact that they're calling in students means that the adults are busy dealing with something even worse somewhere else. We're a small community; when something bad happens, we all pitch in. That's how life in a small town works. We support each other. If last night's storm did this level of damage, people's livelihoods could be at stake. This is my home and I'm going to do my part."

Natsume could clearly see her resolve. "So what do you need to do first?"

She took a deep breath. "I need to go home and change into clothes that I can work in."

Natsume nodded. "Okay then, go upstairs and get your stuff together while I change into clothes that _I_ can work in. We'll stop by the temple first and then we'll _both_ go help the Watanabes."

Mikan looked briefly surprised. She smiled when she said, "Okay. Thanks, Natsume." As they headed upstairs together, Mikan warned him, "This kind of work can get pretty dirty, so make sure you wear something that you don't mind getting ruined."

Natsume smirked. "I'm familiar with the cleanliness hazards of the country, Polka Dots. I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I've only taken HDI's most basic course on natural disaster management and clean-up, but I'm halfway through the search and rescue series, so between the two, I've got a pretty good idea of what to expect."

Mikan grinned. "You can be pretty useful sometimes, you know that?"

While Natsume changed into an old black t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a sturdy pair of boots, Mikan collected her belongings from her guest room. Natsume quickly stopped back by the kitchen to let the staff know where he was going before the pair took off for the temple. All along the way, they saw signs of the storm. Sticks and branches were scattered across the roads. Several fences had been damaged and a number of trees had fallen over from wind and lightning strikes. When they reached the bridge to cross the Honshu River, they saw that the water level had risen drastically. They had to cut through a field to reach the temple after Natsume spotted a downed power line at the end of Mikan's street, which he knew from his training could still contain live wires even when touching the ground.

The temple courtyard was a mess of sticks and leaves. Not sparing any time to investigate the rest of the temple grounds, they headed inside. After explaining the situation to her grandfather, Mikan changed into a forest green racerback tank top, a pair of jeans, and a thick-soled pair of lace-up boots. She quickly plaited her hair into one long braid. She needed it out of her way while she worked, but she worried that it would fall out of a messy bun depending on how intense the labor ended up being and a ponytail didn't keep her long hair together as well as a braid.

Sakura-ojii-san gave them each a bottle of water before they left. "The daycare is watching kids for free today so that their parents can help deal with the storm damage, so I'm going to head over there to volunteer. I'm sure it'll be packed. Our little village took quite a beating last night, it seems."

Mikan squeezed her grandfather's hand. "Be careful, Jii-chan."

Natsume cautioned the old man, "There's a downed power line at the end of the street, so you're better off taking the back way out."

The priest nodded. "Thank you, Natsume-kun. Be sure to look out for each other. I'm sure we've all got a long day ahead of us."

The Watanabe farm sat in the southwestern most part of the valley, tucked into the natural corner where the mountain range ran north towards Owase and east into the sea. When Natsume and Mikan arrived, they saw a crowd of about 50 students from Makikawa Middle and High Schools milling about in groups as they waited for more people to arrive and for the adults to begin giving out instructions. The farm's long driveway stretched straight from the road until it dead ended at the base of the mountains to the south. A wooden fence ran along the right side of the driveway and a big barn stood on the left surrounded by various small paddocks and outbuildings.

Natsume noticed some of the students looking at him and whispering as he walked next to Mikan, some of them subtly and some of them blatantly. Others ignored his presence the same way that he ignored theirs. He was there for Mikan's sake and he couldn't have cared less about what the other teenagers thought of his attendance. He did pay attention to a familiar blonde simply because she was hurrying towards them.

"Mikan-chan!"

Mikan rushed to give her friend a hug. "Are you okay, Ayaka-chan?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Our house was untouched," Ayaka answered as she returned Mikan's hug.

"So what's been damaged?"

Ayaka looked worried. "There was a rockslide by the upper pasture. A section of the fence, including the gate, is completely buried. Our whole herd of cows is up there and they have no way out. If it rains again later and there's another slide, they've got nowhere to go."

Mikan frowned anxiously. The Watanabe family made a living by selling eggs from their chickens, and milk and butter from their cows and goats. Their farm wasn't huge and losing even a few cows could be devastating. Looking around, Mikan ran up to the fence and quickly climbed the posts to get a better view. Ayaka nimbly climbed up beside her. She pointed towards the southwestern corner. "That's the upper pasture."

Mikan gasped. On the lower slopes where the ground was still mostly grass, she could see the fence and the stranded herd of cows. The entire southern end of the fence was buried under mud, rocks, trees, and other debris. There was a distinct trail down the side of the mountain where the surface had given way under the deluge of falling rain. Mikan had seen rockslides before, but they were rarely on a big enough scale to cause structural damage in the small valley.

When the girls hopped down from the fence, Mikan smiled at Ayaka encouragingly. "It looks bad, but we've got a big team here. I'm sure that with all of us working together, we'll rescue your cows in no time."

Ayaka smiled. "Thanks, Mikan-chan." Turning to Natsume, who stood next to them silently with his hands in his pockets, she said, "And thank you, Hyuuga-san, for coming to help. I know you don't live here, but we really appreciate your support."

Natsume nodded at her solemnly. Mikan smiled. "You know, Makikawa is like his second home. He's practically spent a quarter of his life here since he was five." When Natsume quirked an eyebrow at her, she grinned. "What? I did the math!"

Natsume smirked. "I don't know if I trust your calculations, Polka Dots. Isn't math your worst subject?"

Ayaka giggled. "It is."

"Hey!" Mikan whined with a pout.

Ayaka grinned, happy for the temporary distraction from her family's plight. "So where does the nickname 'Polka Dots' come from?"

Mikan blushed. "Nowhere! He just made it up a long time ago." She glared when she caught Natsume's eye. She knew that look; he was obviously pleased with himself and amused at her expense.

Ayaka suddenly whispered, "Heads up, here comes your admirer."

Mikan blinked. "What?"

Just then, a group of boys approached the trio. At the head of the group was Shinji. He smiled at his crush. "Hi, Mikan-chan. Glad you could make it." He nodded his head at Natsume before turning to Ayaka. "I'm sorry about what's happened, Ayaka-chan. I'm sure we can get your cows out before any of them get hurt."

Ayaka smiled. "Thanks, Shinji-kun. I appreciate all of you coming to help us today. I'm sure you all have messes in your own yards to clean up."

"Eh, it's nothing we haven't dealt with before," a boy with razor straight auburn locks and startlingly blue eyes replied. "My little sisters make a game of collecting the sticks while my dad rakes the leaves and my mom sweeps. We never get any serious damage over by our place."

Mikan looked around the group curiously. "Does anybody know where all of the adults are? They must be dealing with something pretty bad to call on all of us like this."

Shinji grimaced. "A section of the riverbank collapsed just west of Kuri Bridge. They're trying to shore it up and rake the debris downriver before it rains again. The water's already so high that it'll definitely flood if it rains again and can't flow out to sea fast enough."

Mikan winced. A lot of the rain that fell on the mountains flowed down into the Honshu River, making it vulnerable to flooding when it rained enough. "Is that the worst of it?"

A tall, strongly built boy nodded. "There's a lot of smaller damage (downed trees, barn doors off their hinges, torn up mailboxes, and a couple of downed power lines), but we haven't heard of any major building damage yet. This and the river seem to be the worst of it." He nodded towards Natsume. "What's city slicker doing here?"

"Hyuuga-san is here to help," Ayaka answered with a smile.

The boy appeared unimpressed as he looked Natsume up and down. He cocked an eyebrow as he addressed Natsume directly. "You sure you can be of any help? You look like I could snap you in half without breaking a sweat."

Shinji turned to the boy and muttered reproachfully, _"Dude…"_

Before Natsume could respond to the blatant insult, Mikan took a step towards the boy and quipped, "Oh, come on, Teriyaki-kun, everybody knows that any girl here can take you down, even me."

Natsume tensed when the boy turned his attention to Mikan and raised his fists, but he refrained from taking action because, oddly enough, the boy was grinning. "Oh, yeah? You wanna try it, Sakura? Come on! Let's go!"

Mikan, too, was grinning broadly as she skipped up to the tall boy, ducking and weaving as they both threw teasing punches at the air around each other. After a few seconds, Mikan laughed as the boy she'd called "Teriyaki-kun" ruffled her hair affectionately. Natsume observed curiously as the boy who had just been so rude to him treated Mikan like an older brother might treat a little sister. He didn't normally get to see Mikan interact so much with so many of her classmates, so he found it interesting to see the various dynamics that she had with them.

The boy glanced at Natsume before turning to his friends. "Alright, let's go see if Watanabe-san is ready to put us to work." Shinji smiled and waved as he followed the group down the long driveway towards the barn.

Ayaka smiled apologetically at Natsume. "You'll have to excuse Teriyaki-kun. He's the oldest in our grade and he's really protective towards girls. I think he worries about Mikan-chan hanging out with you." Natsume nodded. So it was an older brother/younger sister thing they had going on.

Mikan looked confused. "Why would that worry him?"

"Because we've all grown up together, but Hyuuga-san is more of an outsider. There've been some interesting rumors about all of you over the years, so I think he worries that Hyuuga-san might be taking advantage of you or mistreating you in some way."

Mikan smiled. "That's silly. He's one of my best friends."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow. "Is his name really Teriyaki?"

Ayaka laughed. "No, it's a nickname."

Blandly, Natsume asked, "Because he loves teriyaki?"

"Nope, the opposite, because he hates it."

Natsume's look became skeptical. "How can _anyone_ hate teriyaki?"

Mikan and Ayaka both grinned. "Don't let him hear you say that," Mikan warned him. "Almost everybody does when they first learn the reason behind his nickname and he always acts like they're really saying that nobody can hate _him._ You know, because _he's_ Teriyaki." Natsume rolled his eyes.

Just then, a familiar face walked by and spotted them. "Well, hello there, Mikan-chan, Natsume-kun. It's good to see you both."

Mikan smiled broadly. "Ono-san! It's good to see you, too! How are the horses? Is your farm okay? None of your animals have gotten sick, right?"

Ono-san nodded. "They're all fine. Hisato-kun is looking after them and working on cleaning up the mess from last night's storm— nothing bad, just a mess." He looked at Ayaka. "I'm sorry for your trouble, Ayaka-chan. Your father called me to help him oversee things here while the other adults are down by the river. Don't you worry, we'll soon have things right as rain." He furrowed his brow and said, "Scratch that; rain's what got us into this mess. Let's say 'right as sunshine.'"

Ayaka smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Before continuing on his way, Ono-san told them, "I rode Suikazura here and put her in that little side paddock next to the barn if you'd like to go see her at some point." Natsume nodded as Mikan gave the farmer her thanks.

By the time Ayaka's father called for everyone to gather around for instructions, the head count had risen to about 60 teenagers. Ono-san and a couple teachers from the school stood beside Watanabe-san as he explained the project. Since getting the cows to a safer pasture was the most urgent concern, the boys would work on creating a new opening in the northern end of the fence away from the damaged area. The girls would start working on clearing away the rubble from the southern end so that if it rained again later and caused another rockslide, the new debris could land in the same spot without causing any further damage; if new debris landed on top of the existing pile, the mound would grow, spreading the damage out further along the fence and into the pasture.

Natsume wasn't particularly pleased to be separated from Mikan, but he wasn't opposed to doing hard work to help someone who needed it and he considered the project good experience. It was a chance to see firsthand the kinds of problems that nature can cause people, even just simple thunderstorms with high winds and no full-blown tornados or hurricanes.

Since the damaged pasture sat on the mountain's lower slopes, both teams had to work on an incline. That combined with the wet, muddy ground slowed their progress. Natsume silently worked alongside the other boys tearing out a wide section of the fence for the cows to eventually pass through. They had to remove the wooden rails carefully so as not to damage them; they would be reinstalled once the cows had been moved.

On the southern end, Mikan and her classmates filled bags and wheelbarrows with debris and hauled it away. The work was tough and dirty, but Mikan threw herself into it wholeheartedly for the sake of her friend. Ono-san worked alongside them as he supervised the clean-up. After a while, he called for them to pause their work when they ran into a problem. They'd unearthed several trees that crisscrossed and tangled with each other up the slope and into the pasture. The lower ones seemed pinned down by the ones up top and wouldn't budge.

Ono-san rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Looks like we need to pull that top one back before we can haul away the rest of these. We'll have to get some of the boys to climb up into the pasture to do it though; it'll take some real strength to budge that thing."

Mikan had an idea. "Why don't we use Suikazura to do it? We can tie a rope around the tree and attach it to her harness, then she can pull it up and away for us."

Ono-san smiled. "That's a great idea. Would you care to do the honors? I need to stay down here; I'm thinking we're going to need a chainsaw to cut some of these bigger sections into smaller pieces. Take one of the boys with you if you need help tying the rope. Any of the boys from a fishing family ought to be good with knots."

Mikan grinned. "Sure thing!"

Ayaka took Mikan to the barn to get some rope and a harness for Suikazura. Ono-san had removed the horse's saddle when he'd arrived. Mikan slipped the harness over Suikazura's head and down her neck before buckling the girth under her chest. It was faster to ride the horse bareback than to take the time and effort to re-saddle her, so after securing the horse's bridle and reins, Mikan simply used the fence in lieu of stirrups to mount. Ayaka handed her the coiled rope before opening the paddock's gate. Mikan slipped the rope over her head and pulled one arm through it before trotting the horse over to the northern end of the upper pasture where the boys were hard at work. Natsume and a number of other boys turned to look at the sound of the horse approaching. She halted behind them and looked around. "Shinji-kun!"

Natsume saw the boy's look of surprise before it was replaced by a pleased expression. He jogged over to Mikan and asked, "What's up, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan smiled. "I need your help."

Shinji grinned, delighted that his crush was seeking his assistance. "What can I do for you?"

Mikan nodded up the slope. "Will you ride up there with me, please? I need to borrow your fisherman's knot-tying skills."

"No problem." His heart skipped a beat when Mikan reached her hand out to him. He gripped it firmly as he hauled himself onto the horse's back behind her, stepping off a small boulder on the ground to give himself extra lift. Needless to say, he blushed lightly at their incredibly close proximity. His hands hovered uncertainly above her waist, unsure of what to do with them.

Mikan looked over her shoulder at him. "Do you have any experience riding bareback?"

Shinji shook his head. "Not really. I spend more time on boats than horses."

Mikan smiled encouragingly. "Okay. Just squeeze your legs around Suikazura and hang on tight to me, and be sure to lean forward when we go uphill. We're going to have to take the slope kind of quickly so that Suikazura can jump that bottom rail that hasn't been removed yet. It'll only be a small jump, so you'll be fine." Shinji wrapped his arms snuggly around her waist as instructed. He smiled broadly as his heart pounded in his chest. Mikan called to Watanabe-san, who was up the slope by the fence supervising the careful removal of a 25-foot section. "Oji-san! Can we get through here, please? Ono-san needs us to shift some of the debris from the inside."

The farmer nodded and called back, "Much obliged, kids. Alright boys, make a space unless you want to get kicked by a horse."

The boys gave Suikazura a wide berth, taking advantage of the short break from their labor to watch the horse and its riders. Several of the pair's classmates called things out to them, such as "Go, Mikan-chan!" and "Ha! Don't fall off, Shinji!"

Mikan eyed their goal. Gripping the reins tightly, she kicked her heels into Suikazura's sides as she cried out, _"Hee-yah!"_ The energetic palomino took off at a canter, easily making it up the incline and neatly jumping over the fence's bottom rail. Joking around as teenage boys tend to do, many of the spectators cheered exaggeratedly for their classmates, raising their arms above their heads as they shouted and hollered before laughing as they returned to work.

Natsume watched as Mikan and Shinji trotted across the muddy pasture, weaving their way around a few cows as they went. His face remained impassive, but inside, his stomach twisted uncomfortably. He didn't like seeing another boy hold Mikan closely like that and it nagged at him a bit irrationally that she had turned to Shinji for help instead of him. He'd learned how to tie some pretty good knots when he'd studied to get his boating license, but Shinji would obviously have more experience at it. He noted with mild frustration that what he was feeling undeniably counted as jealousy and not just pure concern for his close friend. Not all of the emotions that came with liking someone were pleasant, useful, or even made sense.

After Shinji secured the rope tightly to Suikazura's harness and the other end to the tree trunk that was pinning down the debris below it, Mikan called down to Ono-san, "We're ready up here!" The farmer gave her a thumbs-up before instructing the other girls to move back in case anything shifted and came rolling down the incline when they pulled the tree free. Mikan held the strap that ran across Suikazura's cheek as she clicked her tongue and said, "Come on, Suikazura! Come on, girl! Pull hard!"

The horse strained against the weight of the tree. When she suddenly jerked forward as it came loose, Mikan tripped and fell forwards into the mud, barely managing to keep her face out of it. Shinji rushed to her side to ask if she was okay, but she just laughed and stood up to resume her task of leading Suikazura. He smiled at her positive attitude and dauntless nature. It took another minute, but they soon had the tree dragged up and out of the way. The removal of the anchoring piece caused the massive pile of rubble to shift, sending rocks, dirt, and trees sliding down the incline. When it had settled, Ono-san called out, "Great job! Just leave the tree up there. We'll use the chainsaw to cut it up later. Okay, ladies, we have some more debris to shift now. Let's do what we can before the rain hits again."

Mikan looked at the sky overhead. The clouds were still dark and heavy. After untying the rope and recoiling it, she and Shinji mounted Suikazura and trotted back towards the new opening in the fence. When they reached it, they saw that several of the bottom rails had been successfully removed, allowing them to walk the horse through rather than having to jump again. Watanabe-san turned to the pair as they approached. "Well done, you two. We're almost ready to move the cows, Mikan-chan, so could you go ask Ayaka-chan to saddle up, please? The two of you can herd the cows for us."

Mikan grinned. "Yes, sir!" She'd never herded cows before, though she'd seen it done numerous times. She wouldn't have wanted to try it for the first time on open roads or fields, but ushering the bovines from one pasture to another seemed doable. She looked back at Shinij. "Should I drop you off here or at the bottom?"

"The bottom, please."

She smiled. "Okay. Lean back slightly as we go downhill. It'll help you keep your balance."

They rode slowly back down the incline, weaving their way between the teenage boys who were passing and hauling wooden fence rails and tools. Mikan spotted Natsume carrying a rail over one shoulder. She rode alongside him to ask, "How's it going?"

When he looked up at her, he snorted. "What happened to you?"

Mikan smiled as she shrugged nonchalantly. "I tripped."

Natsume noticed out of the corner of his eye that Shinji was blushing as he looked anywhere but Natsume's face. His jaw ticked at the sight of Shinji's hands resting on Mikan's hips. "You look like a pig."

Mikan laughed. "Thanks, Natsume! You're a real charmer," she teased. "I don't roll around in the mud for fun, you know. And piggies are cute!"

He smirked. "The best kind of pig is the kind I had for breakfast."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Come find me when we break for lunch."

Natsume nodded as they rode on by him, thinking that he would've sought her out anyway when he had the chance. He silently observed the two of them as he carried his load. Shinji dismounted when they reached the bottom and gazed up at Mikan with a smile as he said something that made her grin and say something in response. Natsume made a mental note to ask her about it later.

When Shinji returned to his group of friends, Natsume's sharp ears picked up on one of them asking in a singsong voice, "So how was riding around with _Mikan-chan?"_ He couldn't make out Shinji's mumbled response, but he did hear the other boy's follow-up comment. "I really can't blame you for liking her. She's pretty cool and really cute, too." Whatever Shinji replied made his friends laugh. Natsume released a deep breath. He was getting irritated, not at Shinji or his friends, but at the gnawing jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He found the sensation bothersome, unhelpful, and unnecessary. Unfortunately, he also found it impossible to completely ignore.

Mikan trotted back to the southern end to give Ayaka her father's message. After saddling one of their own horses, Ayaka rode next to Mikan just as the boys' team finished removing the last rail. Watanabe-san instructed the boys to form two lines, one from each side of the new opening to the sides of the neighboring paddock's gate, creating a wide path for the cows to follow as Mikan and Ayaka herded them through. When all of the cows had been safely ushered into their new enclosure, Watanabe-san shut the gate behind them. Mikan and Ayaka left to return their horses as the boys set about reassembling the fence.

An hour later, both groups stopped to take a lunch break. Ayaka's mother and a couple of her friends had been working all morning on an enormous batch of onigiri to feed the teenage volunteers, which hadn't been an easy task with no electricity; the ladies had boiled the rice the old fashioned way, over fires. One of the shopkeepers had stopped by to donate a few cases of water bottles for the group before taking another bunch to the adults working by the river. Before lunch was served, Watanabe-san took a moment to address the students.

"I want to thank you all for coming out today. I know it's not how you'd like to spend your summer vacations, but my family and I truly appreciate your help. Now that the important task of rescuing the cows is done, please don't feel like you have to stay if you need to go home. I'm sure your families have needs of their own. You're all more than welcome to stick around, but just know that clearing away all of the debris from the rockslide and repairing the damaged part of the fence is too big a project for one day, so please enjoy lunch and be safe going home when you do."

After getting their water and onigiri, Natsume, Mikan, and Ayaka sat up on a fence as they ate, holding their water bottles between their legs. They were each sweaty and dirty with mud caked boots and scratches here and there from handling the rough materials, but Mikan looked by far the worst. She'd rinsed her hands off before eating, but most of her arms and clothes were covered in mud. Even her long braid was coated from her fall in the upper pasture. She didn't seem to care one wit as she ate her food hungrily, laughing and chatting with Ayaka.

Natsume couldn't help comparing her to the girls he knew back in Tokyo. Many of them were very hard working as was expected of their positions in prominent families, but he doubted that many of them would be willing to get so dirty and work so wholeheartedly at such manual labor, even to help a neighbor in need. Mikan wasn't just kind; she was selfless. She wasn't just hard working; she was passionate. She wasn't two-faced or snobby or backstabbing or manipulative. She was honest, caring, genuine, down to earth, and didn't take herself too seriously. She was fun and feisty and playful and teasing. She could take what he gave her and dish it back out to him with a smile because she knew the heart behind his words and actions. Everything about who she was as a person drew him in, making him more and more certain that she was a unique existence in his world.

Casually, he asked her what Shinji had said to her earlier. Without skipping a beat, she answered that he was just letting her know that he'd gotten her message. Ayaka raised an eyebrow curiously. "What message?"

Mikan smiled innocently. "Shinji-kun delivered some fish to me the other day and I invited him over for dinner as thanks. We haven't been able to set up a day yet, so I left a message for him with his dad a couple days ago and he was just letting me know that he got it. He said he's free any time I want to have him over."

Ayaka smirked skeptically. "Is that really a good idea?"

Mikan tilted her head at her friend curiously. "What do you mean?"

Ayaka glanced at Natsume before leaning towards Mikan to stage whisper, "You know that Shinji-kun likes you, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

Ayaka spoke normally again. "So the rumor that he confessed to you on graduation day is true then?" When Mikan nodded, Ayaka rolled her eyes. "Well, if you know that he likes you and you also know that you aren't interested in him like that, then why are you having him over for dinner? What's the point of encouraging him?"

Mikan frowned quizzically. "This and that are two separate things. It's not a date; I'm just thanking him. I'm not going to stop being nice to him just because he likes me. He's my classmate and he's never done anything wrong to me."

Ayaka smiled and gripped the fence as she leaned forward. "That's all well and fine, but what if he starts thinking that you've decided that you like him after all and he tries to make a move on you that you aren't ready for? A teenage heart can only take so much. The guy's only been in love with you since preschool."

Mikan's eyes bugged out of her head. Ayaka's jaw dropped. "You _seriously_ didn't know? My goodness, Mikan-chan, everybody knows that Shinji-kun has liked you ever since you gave him that daisy after Kaito-kun accidentally knocked over his sandcastle with a kickball. It's like the best known crush origin story in our grade." Mikan's shock was evident on her face. Ayaka laughed and shook her head. "See, this is why Chiaki-chan doesn't like you. While she gets her panties in a twist at the very _idea_ of a guy liking her, you don't even notice when one actually does. Shinji-kun's not the only one either. I can think of at least half a dozen guys in our grade alone who've had a crush on you at some point and that's not even counting senpais and kohais."

Natsume snorted. "Wow, Polka Dots, you really are dense."

Mikan blanched. "There's no _way_ that's true." She looked from Ayaka to Natsume and back again. "It _can't_ be true…" When Ayaka merely shrugged in a hate-to-break-it-to-you kind of way, Mikan clasped her hands to her cheeks. "I'm an awful person! How can I have been trampling on people's feelings all this time without even knowing it?"

Ayaka smiled. "Of course you're not an awful person, Mikan-chan. It was Shinji-kun's decision to sit on his feelings for nearly a decade and to my knowledge, all of those other guys have moved on. Besides, you're under no obligation to respond to any of their feelings. I just think that you should maybe be a little sensitive towards Shinji-kun for both of your sakes. You're super sweet, but you're also a bit… well, naïve."

Natsume watched Mikan's face closely. She seemed shocked and a bit devastated. Ayaka was right; Mikan was undeniably naïve. He was both surprised and unsurprised to hear that she'd been the subject of so many of her classmates' crushes (unsurprised because she was so likeable, surprised because Shinji was the only one he'd ever known about). He was also surprised to feel a twinge of pity in his heart for Shinji. If Ayaka was right and Shinji really had liked Mikan since before Natsume himself had even met her, it must've been disappointing to say the least that she'd never picked up on his affections. He wondered if she would start noticing those kinds of feelings in Shinji and in other boys more often now that Ayaka had brought them to her attention.

Mikan was distracted from her dismay when a trio of girls paused on their way past. A girl with gorgeous, rich chocolate brown hair that cascaded in curls all around her shoulders sniffed superiorly. "Have you been rolling around with the pigs, Mikan-chan?" Although her comment was similar to Natsume's earlier one, it held a completely different connotation. His had been teasing; hers was clearly meant to be a real insult.

Mikan smiled. "No, but if I'm ever going to try it, now would be the right time since I'm already covered in mud anyway."

The girl's eyes narrowed. She'd obviously been hoping for a more discouraged response. She nodded her head towards Natsume. "I see you dragged your boyfriend along. Thought you'd show him off while you've got an audience?"

Natsume cocked an eyebrow at the snide remarks. Mikan grinned. "Well, he is a boy and he is my friend, so you're two for two, Chiaki-chan. This is nothing though. If you really want to check him out, you should come swimming with us sometime. Natsume has abs you wouldn't _believe."_

Chiaki and her two friends noticeably reddened and glanced at Natsume. Chiaki glared at Mikan before storming away in a huff. Mikan and Ayaka looked at each other before snorting and quickly covering their mouths to stifle their laughter. When they finally got a grip on themselves, Ayaka grinned. "And this is another reason why Chiaki-chan doesn't like you. You aren't an attention seeker like she is."

Mikan giggled before looking at Natsume and bumping her shoulder against his. "Sorry about that." She noticed the curious look on his face. "What?"

"She really doesn't bother you?"

Mikan smiled. "Why would she? She never actually does anything to me and her insults are always stupid or farfetched. The only time she ever said anything really hurtful, she instantly regretted it and apologized. She's really not so bad once you've known her for awhile."

Natsume noticed Ayaka's smile turn sour. His eyebrows knit together as he asked, "What did she say?"

Mikan looked away. "It was nothing."

Ayaka frowned and looked at Natsume. "It wasn't _nothing._ Mikan-chan said something about parents (I can't even remember what anymore) and Chiaki-chan said, 'How would you know? Yours are dead.' That part I remember clearly because it was so nasty and shocking." Glancing at Mikan, she added, "Mikan-chan's right though; she did look like she regretted it as soon as she said it and apologized right away."

Mikan could feel Natsume's gaze boring into her. Figuring that his protective nature was kicking in, she sighed and forced herself to meet his eyes. "Look, it was more than a year ago and was over before it even started. I don't hold it against her and I certainly don't feel bad about myself because my parents aren't alive. It's completely beyond my control, and besides, I have Jii-chan and your mom and Saki-san. I'm very blessed." She smiled to show him that she was being honest.

Natsume continued to stare at her silently. Trying to lighten the mood, Ayaka smiled and said, "Mikan-chan's always been nice to her anyway though. I think the only times I've ever seen you get angry were for someone else's sake."

Mikan grinned. "You haven't seen me around Natsume enough. He makes me mad all the time."

Natsume smirked. "It's a talent."

At least 35 students stayed after lunch to continue working. They made excellent headway on clearing the massive pile of debris. They hauled the rocks and rubble to another area at the base of the mountains to dump them. The trees and thick branches were stacked in the cul-de-sac where the long gravel driveway ended so that they could be cut into firewood later. The group kept at it when it started sprinkling, but Watanabe-san sent them all home shortly before dinnertime when it began to rain in earnest.

Natsume and Mikan were both exhausted as they meandered their way back to the temple; Natsume insisted on taking Mikan home before he headed back to the vacation house. Although the rain fell heavily, there wasn't a driving wind like there had been yesterday and they hadn't heard any thunder or seen any lightning. They approached the temple from the back just in case the downed power line hadn't been repaired yet. As they followed the footpath that wound through the trees at the back of the temple's property, Mikan gazed around and smiled. "The woods look kind of magical in the rain. I feel like a fairy or an elf could poke its head around a leaf at any moment."

Natsume smirked. "Right before it shoots you with an arrow."

Mikan grinned. "Not all elves shoot arrows and I've never even heard of a fairy who does."

When they stepped out of the grove of trees, Mikan stretched out her arms and spun around with her face tilted towards the sky to feel the rain. When she looked back at Natsume and saw him standing still with his hands in his pockets, she laughed. "Oh, come on, Natsume! When's the last time you danced in the rain?"

Natsume smirked. "Three years ago when you and Aoi dragged me out of the house during a rainstorm just like this one."

Mikan pranced up to him and took hold of his wrists. "Well, that's too long ago! Come on!"

Natsume rolled his eyes, but allowed her to drag him around for a minute as she giggled and twirled. He smirked mischievously before suddenly wrapping his arms securely around her waist and spinning her around in a quick circle. She shrieked in surprise, clinging to his neck for stability, before laughing that joyful, delighted laugh of hers. As he held her with her feet off the ground, she gazed into his beautiful garnet eyes and brushed his dripping wet bangs back from his face. They were all alone and she was so close. All he had to do was close the gap.

Mikan felt a thrill shoot up her spine as he kissed her firmly. She clung to him, kissing him back just as deeply. They weren't thinking or analyzing or questioning. With this kiss, they were simply savoring their feelings for one another. Of the few kisses they'd shared, this one was the most raw and transparent. Natsume kept his arms around her even after their lips had parted and he'd set her back on her feet. In a rare show of open sincerity, he smiled down at her through the rain.

"I think I might like you, Sakura Mikan."

Mikan grinned. "You think?"

Natsume smirked. "Maybe. I might need you to kiss me again to make sure."

Mikan rolled her eyes and gently pushed herself away from him to continue towards the temple. "If that's true, it might be my kisses that you like and not me."

Natsume took her hand. "Can't I like your kisses _because_ I like you?"

Mikan laughed. "I'm not sure. It's hard to tell with perverts."

Natsume shook his head. Walking hand-in-hand through the rain with Mikan, he was fairly certain that he'd never felt happier.


	13. It's Not The Fall That Kills You

**Author's Note:** Surprise! Okay, so I can't believe that I'm doing this, but one of my reviewers said she hoped that I would post more than one chapter at a time, to which I promptly replied that I couldn't _possibly_ do that because of how long it takes me to crank out and edit these long chapters, but as soon as I finished replying, I thought, "You know what? Screw it! My readers are awesome, so what the heck, this **ONE** time, I will post a second chapter." So here it is for your weekend reading pleasure, the last chapter of Natsume and Mikan's time "alone" together (I only put _alone_ in quotations because technically they aren't alone since Sakura-ojii-san and the staff at the vacation house are still around. They aren't secretly being stalked or anything.). :)

My apologies if I missed any edits. I normally spend more time reviewing each chapter before posting it.

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Chapter 13: It's Not The Fall That Kills You

Friday, July 8th, 2016

The power came back on later that evening, allowing Natsume and Mikan to both take warm showers and once again enjoy the modern luxury of air conditioning; however, the two friends didn't see each other again until late Friday morning. The plan was to get together at the temple to clean up the mess left behind by the storm, but when Mikan finally woke up after sleeping in until almost 9:30, Sakura-ojii-san insisted that she spend the day resting and relaxing. They could plan to clean the temple grounds on Saturday. Mikan was too tired to argue, so after texting Natsume about the change of plans, she dressed in a comfy pair of lavender shorts and a white tank top, ate breakfast with her grandfather, and headed for the vacation house. The sky was mostly clear for the first time all week, the clouds having finally rained themselves out yesterday.

The day was wonderfully lazy for the exhausted pair. After their full week of hiking the central mountain, boating with the inflatable, roaming around Owase, and working at the Watanabe farm, they needed a day of lying around. They watched TV, read manga, played a couple table games, and even messed around with a few simple video games. Mikan wasn't a fan of most of the games that could be played on a home gaming system because of how hard she found it to handle the controllers, but she did occasionally like to play Natsume's Super Nintendo; the classic, older system had much simpler controllers than his more modern gaming consoles. She enjoyed the retro, less complicated games such as _Tetris, Pac-Man,_ and even _Super Mario._ Natsume could never get her interested in _Donkey Kong;_ she always got frustrated when she died too easily.

Unfortunately, the power had been out long enough that the leftover desserts from their date had spoiled in the home theater's fridge. Ever the optimist, Mikan suggested that for an afternoon snack, they pour some of their cinnamon roasted pecans from Owase over vanilla ice cream from the main kitchen and top it was caramel sauce. The resulting sundaes were so delectably mouthwatering that Mikan swore that a better ice cream dessert couldn't possibly exist. Even Natsume was highly impressed by the mix of flavors and textures. When they'd finished the treat, they decided to read in the home theater while their stomachs settled. After awhile, Natsume heard a soft thump. He looked over to see that Mikan's book had slipped from her hand and landed on the floor. She was fast asleep. He smirked affectionately. "Baka…"

Setting down his own manga, he walked over to the couch where Mikan was dozing peacefully and carefully shifted her over so that he could lie down next to her. Even in her sleep, she gently snuggled closer to his warmth. He gazed silently at her sleeping face for a moment before closing his eyes to join her in taking an afternoon nap. As he began to doze off, he thought about the imminent return of the rest of the household tomorrow. He really should have a talk with Mikan before then…

The first thing Natsume was aware of was Mikan moving against him. He blinked his eyes open to see her stretching languorously on her back beside him. Blearily, she wiped the sleep from her eyes. He yawned before stretching a bit himself. Glancing out the window, he could tell that it was still day time.

Mikan closed her eyes and let her head loll to the side. "I needed that," she mumbled, smiling softly.

Natsume smirked. "Honestly, I think I did, too." He propped his head up on one hand as he looked down at her. It was great that they could have fun together when they were out and about in places like Owase, but it was a different kind of wonderful that they could just chill together without it being awkward. Mikan's eyelids fluttered open when he affectionately brushed her hair back from her face and trailed his fingertips down her cheek. There was a glow like firelight in his eyes that spoke of a deep, warm, tender emotion that set her heart pounding in her chest.

"Mikan..."

A light blush colored her cheeks as she smiled. "Yes, Natsume?"

Gingerly, his gaze locked on hers, he shifted over her to align their faces. Mikan's heart raced as she gazed up at him. He placed his hand against her cheek and whispered, "I really want to kiss you right now."

Mikan's heart leapt. With a twinkle in her gold-flecked amber eyes, she whispered back, "You can kiss me if you say my name again."

Natsume's lips twitched. She could see the amusement in his eyes. His voice was warm and light as a breath.

"Mikan..."

She felt him whisper her name on her lips just before he kissed her. They were both instantly charmed. Mikan closed her eyes and slid her fingers into his thick black hair as she kissed him back. She felt as if all of her affectionate feelings for him were overflowing from her heart as she kissed him and hugged him and let herself get lost in his closeness. She didn't have a lot of self-restraint to begin with, but when her emotions started running rampant within her, she was even more easily swept away.

Natsume nearly lost his own mind as he kissed her deeply, the pleasant sensation intoxicating to a hormonal teenage boy. He could feel her hands in his hair and the side of her body that he was leaning against pressed beneath his own. His hand slid over her shoulder and down her side. When he accidentally gripped her too hard, squeezing her waist, she jerked and gasped into his mouth. His eyes flew open and in a flash, he was off of her and standing tensely beside the couch.

Mikan blinked at him, confused by his sudden departure. "What's wrong?"

Natsume quickly turned away from her and headed for the door. "Nothing. I'm just going to use the restroom. I'll be right back." He'd disappeared by the time Mikan sat up.

Instead of heading to the restroom next to the home theater, Natsume went straight upstairs to his bedroom where he shut the door behind him and slid down to sit against it, dropping his head into his hands. His heart was thundering in his chest as he breathed heavily. He'd practically sprinted up the stairs in his haste.

"Damn."

He may be mature for his age, but he was still a young, inexperienced teenager. He hadn't developed the emotional maturity of an adult yet. Everything felt so intense. The flash and burn of love and desire that Mikan had just stirred in him was new and overwhelming. He could deal with stress, pressure, and expectations like a pro, but when it came to Sakura Mikan, he was nothing more than a 14-year-old boy with a hopeless crush.

" _Damn."_

His head flopped back against the door. He needed to pull back, reign himself in. His plan to open himself up to her had worked too well. Letting himself go was only good up to a certain point and he was pretty sure that he'd just found that point. His mother had warned him, _it's easy to be tempted forward_ and she'd been exactly right. He squeezed his hands into fists, then shook them out. He repeated the gesture two more times before blowing out a deep breath.

He tried hard to turn off his emotions long enough to do some clear, serious thinking. There was no doubt left about how he felt for Mikan and he had a pretty good idea of how she felt about him. The issue that remained was what exactly to do about their feelings for one another. He was sorely tempted to ask her to be his girlfriend, but when he considered all of the variables, now just wasn't the right time. A long-distance relationship would be difficult on both of them and Mikan wouldn't be able to move to Tokyo until she graduated from high school, assuming that she felt strongly enough about him at that point to be willing to move. He was also worried about her facing social scrutiny as his mysterious, unknown, and unseen girlfriend if they dated from separate cities. She would face enough challenges stepping out into high society with him someday without having a bad reputation preceding her.

Natsume liked the way that things had been going between them this week— comfortable, casual, open, and honest— and he wanted that atmosphere to continue, but he knew better than to think that he'd be able to act the same way in front of other people. He was too private to flaunt his feelings for her that publically. So far, the most intimate moments between them had been when they were completely alone and he wanted them to stay that way. So where did that leave him?

Natsume raked his hands through his hair in frustration. _So what am I supposed to tell her? "I like you as more than just a friend, but I only want to date you as a friend"? "My hope is that you'll leave your hometown behind in three years to come to Tokyo to be my girlfriend, but I don't want us to have an official relationship until then"?_ None of the girls at his school would go for that and he really didn't expect Mikan to either. Still, it's what made the most sense to him. It wasn't ideal or even what he truly wanted, but making his feelings clear to Mikan and asking her to take things slowly with him for now was his best option. Would Mikan be okay with that? He doubted it, but there was only one way to find out for sure. They needed to talk about it together _before_ everyone returned on Saturday and there was no better time than the present.

When his heart rate had returned to normal, he got up to use the restroom before returning to the home theater. When he entered, Mikan hopped up from the couch. He frowned slightly when she bit her lip nervously. "What's up, Polka Dots?"

Mikan hesitated as he approached her. "Did I do something wrong?"

Natsume blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Mikan met his eyes as she explained, "You jumped up and left so quickly while we were kissing that I was worried that I'd done something wrong." She relaxed when she noticed the way his eyes widened slightly. Obviously, it was a misunderstanding.

"You didn't do _anything_ wrong, Polka Dots, not even a little bit. You just made that sound… and I was worried that I might have hurt you, so I cut us off." He knew that it was sort of a lie, but he didn't want to admit to her that he'd actually left because of the powerful feelings of love, lust, and longing that her gasp had triggered in him.

Mikan smiled. "You didn't hurt me. I just kind of got a shock when you squeezed my side like that."

Natsume nodded. Swallowing, he looked her directly in the eyes as he took her hand. "We should talk."

Mikan tilted her head curiously. "About what?"

"Us," he told her. "About what we're doing… and what we want."

Mikan smiled. "I'm happy to just keep chilling here for the day. Jii-chan said that I don't have to do anything at home until tomorrow—"

"No, Polka Dots," Natsume interrupted, smirking at her misunderstanding, "that's not what I meant. We need to talk about _us_ — our relationship and what exactly we are to each other. In case you haven't noticed, we haven't exactly been treating each other as 'just friends' lately." He felt a flurry of nervousness in his stomach as he spoke. This was it, the conversation that really mattered, that would steer them in one direction or another.

Mikan smiled warmly. Plopping down on the couch, she said, "What is there to talk about?"

Natsume sat down beside her and squeezed her hand. His expression was serious as he started sincerely, "We've been friends for a long time— you're one of my _best_ friends— but I don't see you that way anymore. I like you differently than I did before and I think that someday we could be more than just friends... we're in the process of _becoming_ more than just friends right now. Our date was great. Spending time with you like that was great. Kissing you and holding you and being with you… I like all of it and I want more of it, but it's going to take time to figure all of this out." He swallowed. She was gazing at him calmly and steadily, listening to every word he said. Her attention and closeness helped him get the words out. "I'm not ready to be in an official relationship. You know I don't like other people butting their noses into my business and that's exactly what people will do as soon as I have a girlfriend, so I want things to be… _solid_ before I do. I know that sounds selfish of me and it might not be what you hoped or expected, but I want you to know that I'm taking this seriously even if it doesn't entirely make sense to you. I've never been open to exploring the possibility of more than just friendship with a girl until now and I want to do this right and take it slow. So I'd like to know, are you okay with that? Do you… want to see where things go between us? If you don't, I want to know. I _need_ to know if you're okay with all of… this." He watched her closely for her reaction as he spoke, but wasn't quite sure what to make of the happy grin on her face or the way she tightly gripped his hand back.

Mikan's heart swelled at Natsume's honesty. He didn't talk about his feelings and emotions hardly at all, so she recognized the effort it must have taken him to admit all of that to her and to himself. "You sound like you're confessing some grave sin, Natsume, but I haven't heard you say anything wrong yet. You said so yourself when you asked me out the other morning, that it was just a casual, friendly date with no pressure and no expectations. We like each other and we're being intentional about growing closer to each other, and most people would expect us to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend because of that, but who cares? People can be too obsessed with labels. The titles aren't what matter. These are _our_ feelings and _our_ lives, so if we want to just enjoy exploring what we have between us without worrying about other people's opinions, that's okay. It doesn't matter if you're my boyfriend or not. What matters to me is how you feel about me and how I feel about you. I _like_ the way things are going between us and I'm _not_ secretly wondering when you're going to ask me to be your girlfriend. I'm not saying that being boyfriend and girlfriend someday wouldn't be nice, but I'm perfectly happy leaving that as a mystery for the future for now."

Hyuuga Natsume was rarely rendered speechless, but at that moment, he was entirely at a loss for words. Even in the deepest depths of his heart, he hadn't dared to hope for such a perfect, accepting response from her. He simply sat and stared at her as he absorbed her words and the feelings behind them. In that moment, falling in love with her no longer felt possible.

It felt inevitable.

Mikan tilted her head as she smiled at him. "Hello? Earth to Natsume?"

Natsume blinked. "What about when I go back to Tokyo next month?"

Mikan didn't hesitate. "What about it? Our friendship has lasted all these years of being apart during the school year. I don't see any reason for us to worry about our current feelings not lasting the same way."

Natsume's face relaxed as he murmured, "You really are something else, Polka Dots."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that a lot of girls would expect to be boyfriend and girlfriend right from the start instead of just dating first without that kind of official commitment. Not many of them would be so relaxed about it."

Mikan shrugged. "To each his own. I don't think those girls are necessarily wrong; I just don't think that I'm wrong either. I've honestly always hoped that I would be friends with a guy first and then date him for awhile before becoming an official couple. Anyway," she smiled, her heart racing happily, "I like that it's you."

Natsume's heart skipped a beat at her words. He shook his head. "I don't know how it's so easy for you to bare your feelings so openly."

Mikan grinned. "It's a talent."

Natsume smirked. All of his stress and anxiety over this conversation had washed away and he now felt incredibly happy. In a swift, strong movement, he lifted Mikan into his arms as he stood up. Mikan squealed in surprise, clinging to his neck at the insecure feeling of unexpectedly being picked up. "What are you doing?!"

Natsume's grin took Mikan's breath away, rare as it was. "What's the matter, Polka Dots, don't you trust me?"

Mikan hesitated. "You won't drop me, right?"

Natsume smirked. "Oh, I will."

"What—?" Mikan suddenly found herself dropped onto the couch and mercilessly tickled. She screeched and laughed and gasped for air as she fought him. "Natsume! Ahahaha— _Stop!_ Hahaha—That's not— haha—fair! Natsume! I—hahaha—can't—hahahahaha— _breathe!"_

When Natsume finally released her, Mikan's heart was pounding as she panted. "You… big… meanie…"

Natsume sat on the floor and leaned his side against the couch to watch her catch her breath. His voice sounded completely unrepentant. "You said that you like the feeling of my hands on your body, Polka Dots, so I thought I was doing you a favor."

Mikan looked at him incredulously. "You liar." She couldn't be mad at him though, not when his deep, mesmerizing garnet eyes were burning so brightly and happily at her.

Natsume smirked. "Shall I make it up to you?"

Mikan quirked an eyebrow skeptically. "How?"

Natsume's eyes twinkled mischievously. "How about a massage?"

Excitement lit Mikan's face as she grinned. "Yes, yes, and _yes!_ I will _absolutely_ forgive you for almost suffocating me to death if you give me a massage— a _good_ massage."

"I don't give any other kind," Natsume bragged.

The rest of their day together was even better than the first part. True to his word, Natsume gave Mikan a wonderful massage that had her practically melting into the couch. Since she wasn't wearing her swimsuit this time, he slid his hands under the hem of her tank top as he soothed her muscles with his warm, firm touch. They ate dinner together at one of the small tables on the back patio, enjoying the change in the weather. Natsume felt a pleasant lightness in his chest at the sureness of clearly knowing what he and Mikan had between them. Mikan had already been going with the flow anyway, but even she felt a special kind of comfort from hearing Natsume so openly and directly declare his feelings and intentions towards her. After a fun, relaxing evening together, Natsume walked Mikan back to the temple hand-in-hand, no longer caring who saw them. Before leaving her there, Natsume waited until Sakura-ojii-san's back was turned to give Mikan a goodnight peck on the lips, neither of them being keen to kiss in front of an audience.

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Natsume joined Mikan and her grandfather cleaning the temple grounds, a task they accomplished before lunchtime. As they were eating, Natsume's mother called him to confirm their arrival and dinner plans. Saki-san, Hotaru, and Ruka were expected back with Honzo-san around 5 o'clock while Kaoru-san, Aoi, and the two staff members who'd accompanied them to Tokyo estimated their arrival closer to 5:30. Kaoru-san had spoken to Sakura-ojii-san a few days earlier to arrange for him and Mikan to come to the vacation house for dinner that night so that the kids could all catch up from their week apart. Since the elderly priest wanted to lie down for awhile before joining them, Mikan and Natsume headed on over to the vacation house after lunch. They only had a few hours left alone together and Natsume didn't want to waste them.

Although Mikan had enjoyed the rain throughout the week, she was delighted to see the sun shining again and suggested that they cool off from working outside by going for a swim. Since the pool was still being cleaned and sanitized from all of the debris that had blown into it during the storm, they headed out to the beach where Mikan dashed straight into the ocean. The water felt spectacular. She swam almost all the way to the buoy before rolling over to float on her back. She was gazing up at the clear blue sky when she felt something move beneath her and a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her waist from below. Naturally, her first instinct was to scream.

" _Natsume!"_

Mikan looked around, but didn't see him. "What the heck…? _Ah!"_ She whirled around in the water when the boy in question grabbed her shoulders. "Quit it!" she shouted, splashing the salty water at him. Her command might have carried more weight if she hadn't been grinning broadly when she said it.

Natsume smirked arrogantly. "Make me, Polka Dots."

Mikan narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'll make you all right…" Natsume made no move to get away as Mikan swam around behind him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and hoisted herself up to push him down below the water's surface with all of her body weight. Fully anticipating this, Natsume took a deep breath and straightened himself like an arrow to send his body down deeper than Mikan had planned. By reaching up to grip her arms, Natsume effectively dragged her down with him.

Mikan immediately released him and returned to the surface sputtering. "Oh, you…" she growled, her eyes alight with challenge. Natsume was smirking at her in that infuriatingly smug way that so easily riled her up. She swam at him head on, determined to get him back just once. She tried dunking him from the front, but he held her by the waist and took her down with him again. She was halfway anticipating this, so the moment they came back up for air, she shoved him down once again. She thought she had him when he sank too deep for her to reach, but a moment later she felt him grab her ankles and yank her down. When she resurfaced this time, she was gagging and coughing.

"You alright there, Polka Dots?"

Mikan brushed her wet hair back from her face. Although Natsume's words conveyed concern, his tone and his face showed no remorse whatsoever. Mikan shook her head. "I'd be better if I could figure out how to take you down."

Natsume swam closer to her as he smirked. "It'll only ever happen in your dreams, Polka Dots."

Mikan grinned. "And when I prove you wrong, what then?"

Natsume was treading water right in front of her now. "You'll wake up."

Mikan promptly splashed him in the face and took off for shallower waters. There was more to swimming than just trying to dunk Natsume and she'd have a better chance of catching him off guard later anyway. She stood when the water came up to just below her shoulders. She grinned as she squished the wet sand between her toes. She loved that sensation.

"Give up already?"

Mikan gasped at the sound of Natsume's low voice speaking silkily right behind her. She hadn't heard or even noticed him following her. When she whipped around to face him, he immediately pulled her against him, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. Mikan squealed as the motion lifted her feet off the sandy bottom, Natsume being a good bit taller than her. She pressed her hands to his bare chest to push away from him, then blushed at the warm feeling of his skin against hers. Natsume smirked at her rosy cheeks, knowing exactly what their close proximity was doing to her and thoroughly enjoying it himself.

"I'm not giving up, I'm just… taking a break," Mikan stuttered, avoiding his eyes.

Natsume quirked an eyebrow at her in amusement. "You must not have gotten enough rest yesterday if you're taking a break this soon, Polka Dots."

Mikan glared at him halfheartedly. "Or maybe I'm just tired all over again from cleaning up the temple this morning. Either way, you're off the hook for a while." She pushed gently away from him, torn between nerves and desire. Natsume was a very attractive teenage boy and she was far from immune to his good looks or his very fit upper body. "Are you going to let me go now?"

Her breath hitched in her throat when Natsume moved his lips to her ear to whisper, "Why? Don't you like this?" He held her tightly with one arm while his other hand pressed a firm, smooth line up her bare back below the water. _"I_ like it."

Mikan squealed as she pushed away from him in earnest. "Of course you do, pervert!" Natsume released her with a chuckle. Her face was beet red as she hurried towards the shore, her heart racing madly in her chest. She heard Natsume sloshing along behind her and when the water was down to just above her knees, she whirled around and threw her whole body at him, bowling him backwards into the water. She quickly stood back up, water dripping from her hair and face. "Ha! I did it— _Ah!"_

From below the surface, Natsume swiped a leg out to knock her over, but scooped her up out of the water as he stood. Mikan wrapped one arm around his shoulders while wiping her face with the other. Natsume smirked at the bikini-clad girl in his arms. "Not bad, Polka Dots, but still not good enough."

Mikan grinned broadly and punched his shoulder. "No way! That totally counts as two separate dunks. I got you that time and you know it." Natsume responded to her gleeful declaration by carrying her back out until the water reached his hips where he promptly dumped her, eliciting a shriek of surprise from his crush.

They continued to play and swim until they were both worn out. As they headed towards the shore, Natsume questioned her with a cocky smile, "So I've got abs like you wouldn't believe, huh?"

Mikan blushed and rolled her eyes. "You're bringing that up _now?"_

She could hear the smugness in his voice as he answered, "I figured it was a good time since I have my shirt off."

Mikan glanced at him and said, "Well, I just made that up to embarrass Chiaki-chan, so don't read into it."

"So you don't like my abs then?" Natsume asked her teasingly.

Mikan refused to look at him as she muttered, "It's not that I don't like them, they're just not my favorite part." She froze and clapped a hand across her mouth as her eyes widened in horror at the words she'd just let slip out.

Natsume's eyebrows rose as he grinned. "Oh, _really?_ And what may I ask is your _favorite_ aspect of my physique?"

Mikan didn't even respond. She simply took off for the shore, hoping to get away from the mortifying situation that she'd just gotten herself into. Natsume, of course, wasn't going to have that and easily caught up to her and grabbed her wrist. "I want an answer, Polka Dots. Since you've apparently been checking me out _like a pervert,_ I want to know if you like what you see."

Mikan pulled and tugged, but couldn't free herself from his grip. "I am _not_ a pervert and I have _not_ been checking you out. Now let me go!"

"I want my favor."

Once again, Mikan froze, wide-eyed. _"What?!_ You want to use your favor for _this?!"_

Natsume smirked. "You heard me. I want my favor that you _owe_ me from when we went boating with Ikeda-san on Tuesday. I want you to tell me _fully_ and _truthfully_ what you meant when you said that it's not that you dislike my abs, they're just not your favorite part."

Mikan's mouth opened and closed like a fish. She didn't even resist as Natsume pulled her close and released her wrist to hold her in a loose hug as they stood in the waist-high water. She met his gaze as her shock slowly gave way to nerves and self-consciousness. "You're serious?" Natsume nodded, his pleasant, serene smile telling her that it was useless to argue or try to convince him to change his mind. Mikan averted her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but finally just gave up. She wasn't going to break a promise, so she might as well just get it over with and recover from the embarrassment later. "I…" She glanced at his garnet eyes, which were watching her closely. She swallowed and shifted her gaze towards the distant horizon. "I like… your arms… and… _Uh!"_ She flopped her forehead onto his chest to hide her face. "This is _so_ embarrassing!"

Natsume grinned. "It's not nearly as bad as you think it is, Polka Dots. You're just complimenting me. This should come naturally to you."

"I'm complimenting your _body,_ which is _awkward._ Besides, my thoughts are kind of… weird."

Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "I'm a guy, Mikan. Nothing you could possibly find attractive would weird me out." He hoped that using her real name would bolster her confidence to be honest with him. He really wanted to know what she particularly liked about him, physically speaking, now that he knew that she had an opinion on the matter.

Mikan looked up at him and met his eyes as she bit her lip. Still blushing furiously, she muttered. "Fine. I like your shoulders… and your back…" She looked away again. "Those are my favorites." Her eyebrows drew together as she added, "And your chest… _Gah!_ You know what? Let's just say that I think you're hot, handsome, sexy, attractive— whatever you want to call it— and be done! Okay? Are you satisfied? Have I completed your favor?"

Natsume was very satisfied. Mikan looked like she was positively dying of embarrassment, but he couldn't resist clarifying one last time. "So you like my arms, shoulders, back, and chest?" Mikan nodded curtly. "But not my abs?"

Mikan rolled her eyes and slapped his chest. "Your abs are _fine,_ Natsume! I'm just not _drawn_ to them as much as things… higher up." She actually managed a small smile as she assured him, "All of you is great, Natsume, you just asked me for my favorites."

Natsume chuckled. "Okay, Polka Dots. My favor is complete."

"Thank you!" Mikan sounded relieved as she immediately tried to pull away from his loose embrace. She blinked and looked up at him curiously when he didn't let her go. Her lips parted when Natsume gently brushed his thumb over them. His gaze was far more affectionate than she'd expected, causing her already racing heart to trip in her chest. She tried and failed to resist when he kissed her, her eyelids closing as if it was the natural thing to do. Her arms wound their way around his neck, holding him close as their lips moved smoothly against one another, neither hurried nor hesitant. He slid his hand up the back of her head and into her wet hair as he continued to kiss her warmly and affectionately. He had no idea when he'd get the chance to kiss her again now that there would be so many pairs of eyes around, so he savored this one with all of his heart. Their foreheads rested gently against one another when the kiss finally ended. Natsume closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and kissed her forehead before he released her, reaching to hold her hand as they made their way up out of the water to return to the house.

"I can't believe you used your favor that way and made me say all those things," Mikan huffed.

Natsume smirked broadly. "It was totally worth it, Polka Dots."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** :) To those of you who were hoping for them to become an official couple right off the bat, just hang in there and enjoy the anticipation. I think the slower route suits my interpretation of them in this story better and it leaves so many fun doors open.

I hope everyone enjoyed the moe and fluff in this chapter because everyone is back in town in Chapter 14, so you won't get as much Natsume and Mikan solo time, _but_ that means that we're that much closer to Tokyo! Yay!


	14. Plant Me By The Water

Chapter 14: Plant Me By The Water

Saturday, July 9th, 2016

After showering, Natsume and Mikan dressed in nice, but simple attire for that evening's family dinner. Natsume chose a soft black polo and a pair of khaki shorts while Mikan dressed in her new off-the-shoulder, short black dress and accessorized it with her mother's pearl stud earrings and the ring that Natsume had given her on their date. Her hair flowed behind her in streaks of gold, caramel, and honey as she skipped merrily down the stairs to meet him on the landing above the foyer. Natsume almost smiled at her appearance. He loved that she was wearing _his_ ring again, a symbolic reminder of how things had changed between them over the past week. He considered complimenting her, but didn't get a chance to as the front door opened wide. Mikan squealed with delight as she raced down the steps to throw her arms around her best friend, who was the first to step into the open foyer.

" _Hotaru!_ I missed you! I'm so happy you're back!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes, but allowed her best friend to get her fill of hugging her, knowing that otherwise the girl would only whine. "Hello, baka."

Mikan leaned back to grin broadly at the rest of the group making their way into the house. "Welcome back, everyone!" She quickly exchanged hugs with Ruka.

"Did anything exciting happen while we were gone?" the handsome teenager asked, his sapphire eyes twinkling mischievously.

Mikan grinned back. "Tons! We've had a busy week."

"Oh, yeah?" Ruka glanced up the stairs at Natsume. "You'll have to tell us all about it later."

"Okay! I want to hear about your trip to Hong Kong, too," Mikan chirped, happily looping her arm through Hotaru's.

Natsume watched coolly as Ruka climbed the stairs to approach him, the blonde's face plastered with a hopeful grin. "So? Do you have good news for me?"

Natsume smirked. "Nice to see you, too, Ruka."

Ruka rolled his eyes and punched Natsume's shoulder. "Dude, I haven't harassed you _once_ this week to ask how things have been going between you and Mikan-chan, and Hotaru told Mikan-chan not to bother her while we were gone, so I haven't even heard anything through the grapevine, but now _I want_ _to know._ Is she or isn't she your girlfriend?"

Natsume instantly replied, "No, she's not my girlfriend."

Ruka's face fell. "Please tell me that you at least spent time together."

"We spent time together."

Ruka blew out a breath and smiled. "Well, I guess that's about as good as I realistically hoped for, so good, I'm glad that you two at least saw each other while we were gone. What'd you guys do?"

"This and that," Natsume answered smoothly. He was looking forward to seeing his best friend's reaction when he eventually found out about his date with Mikan, but wanted to allow the secret to come out naturally in later conversation. Ruka had been egging him on enough this summer that Natsume wanted to shock him a little in return. "We might as well save our breath for when we exchange stories over dinner. I know that the baka is dying to hear all about your adventures in Hong Kong."

The four friends headed upstairs so that Ruka and Hotaru could freshen up and change for dinner. Mikan sat on Hotaru's bed as she chatted away happily, asking her best friend all about her travels. Hotaru kept her answers short as she dressed in a short, lavender dress. She refused to discuss their stay in Hong Kong or visit with Ruka's parents, not wanting to have to repeat herself later when they joined the rest of their friends for dinner, so she stuck to describing the journey there and back. Mikan didn't say anything about her own activities over the past week as she was wholeheartedly focused on her friend and Hotaru didn't ask; there would be time for that later.

By the time the four teenagers made it back downstairs, Kaoru-san and Aoi's entourage had arrived. Aoi rushed at Mikan, throwing her arms around her and squealing excitedly. "How was your week?! Do you have any news?!" She ignored her brother's bland stare.

Mikan smiled brightly. "We had a great week! A lot's been going on. There was this big thunderstorm and we lost power for almost 24 hours! But let's talk about that later. I want to hear about your week at Nobara-chan's house."

"Aoi-chan, run upstairs and change before you get too deep in conversation. You'll have plenty of time to chat over dinner and Sakura-ojii-san should be here any minute," Kaoru-san instructed her daughter.

"Yes, ma'am," Aoi answered, hurrying up the steps without waiting for her friends. She wanted to be quick so that they could start talking. Not long afterwards, she came prancing back downstairs wearing a simple white sundress covered in yellow sunflowers.

As soon as Sakura-ojii-san arrived, everyone headed for the formal dining room. The adults sat at the end of the long table, followed by the youths; Hotaru, Mikan, and Aoi sat across from Natsume and Ruka. As soon as the meal had been served, Mikan smiled broadly at Hotaru. "That's a beautiful necklace, Hotaru."

Hotaru pursed her lips as Ruka grinned broadly, an unusually self-satisfied look on his princely face. "Thank you," she answered Mikan simply.

Ruka snickered. "Aren't you going to tell her where you got it, _sweetheart?"_

Hotaru narrowed her eyes at him and smirked. "Tell her yourself, _dear._ It's your victory story."

"Victory story?" Mikan questioned, confused.

Ruka grinned broadly, quite pleased with himself, as he explained, "That necklace is from the jewelry store we visited in Owase. Hotaru liked it, but I pretended not to care so that I could surprise her with it later. As you know, Hotaru is _brilliant,_ so I knew that she would most likely guess that my indifference was just a ruse to throw her off, so the real surprise had to be _when_ I gave it to her. It would have made the most sense for me to give it to her for birthday or Christmas, but I can't surprise Hotaru by doing what makes sense, so I gave it to her as a random present, completely out of the blue, while we were in Hong Kong. You should have seen the way she froze when she saw it! I totally got her that time!"

"Really?" Mikan grinned, turning to Hotaru. "He actually managed to surprise you?"

Hotaru smirked. "Yes, he did." She wasn't going to say it, but she found her boyfriend particularly attractive when his cleverness actually worked, although she still liked how adorable he looked when he lost. Ruka somehow managed to combine genuine chivalry with clever wit, giving him a delightfully devious sort of charm that she relished. He wasn't quite as innocent a handsome prince as many of his admirers thought.

"You two are weird sometimes," Aoi giggled.

Ruka grinned. "But we're perfect for each other." Smirking slyly at Natsume, he said, "Speaking of being perfect together, how did you two spend your week?"

Natsume smirked. "Breathing."

Mikan laughed at his useless answer. "We did a ton of stuff, but I want to hear about what you guys did first. How was Hong Kong? How was Nobara-chan's place?"

Ruka sighed, thwarted once again from hearing any details about their week together. As they ate dinner, Ruka and Hotaru described their time in Hong Kong. It sounded like they'd had a great time with beautiful weather. Mikan and Aoi both chimed in with questions here and there. Ren-san and Lina-san both seemed to be doing well. They'd asked Ruka to pass along their love and let everyone know that they hoped to be home for a few days after school started. Mikan was sorry to hear that she wouldn't get to see them this summer, but that wasn't terribly unusual with the busy schedules the two professionals kept. When Ruka and Hotaru had finished their tale, Aoi shared about her week at Nobara-chan's house in Tokyo. The two girls had attended a party together, played karaoke, gotten their nails done, and a host of other girly things. Nobara's parents had taken them out for a fancy dinner one night. Another day, Nobara's mother and aunt had taken them out for afternoon tea. Nobara's older cousin had escorted them to a shopping mall where they'd met up with their close friend Yoichi (Yo-chan for short). They'd spent a lot of time with the boy throughout the week, but he'd refused to join them for anything too girly for his tastes.

As their dinner plates were being whisked away, Kaoru-san informed them that Hatsuharu-san and Tohru-san would be coming for a visit around Sakura-ojii-san's birthday in a couple of weeks. Mikan grinned excitedly. Her friends' fathers hadn't made it out to Makikawa for a visit yet this summer and Mikan loved the idea of them being there for her grandfather's birthday party.

Futaka-san had made a smooth, rich Japanese cheesecake for dessert, which was served with tea and fresh berries. As they ate the cool, sweat treat, Aoi grinned at her brother before saying, "So Mikan-nee, now that we've all told you about our week, tell us about yours. What have you and Onii-chan been up to while we've all been gone?"

Natsume ate his dessert coolly as Mikan began narrating happily. "We didn't really see each other much over the weekend, but we hiked all the way up to the top of the mountain Monday morning. It was so pretty up there! Want to see a picture?" She pulled out her cell phone to show them the picture she'd snapped of the two of them standing on the mountaintop with Makikawa and the vast ocean spread out behind them.

Hotaru smirked. "I'll have to bring _my_ camera next time we go all the way up."

Mikan grinned. "That'd be awesome! The view is so spectacular. I bet you could get some incredible shots."

Ruka squinted at the photo from across the table. "The sky looks kind of dark. Is that just the picture?"

"No, the sky was really overcast. We got a lot of rain this week. In fact, we pretty much just sat around watching TV the rest of that day because it rained not long after we got back."

Ruka quirked an eyebrow and grinned at his best friend. "So you two watched TV _alone_ together, huh? You didn't torture poor Mikan-chan with anything too scary, did you, Natsume?"

Natsume smirked. "She was fine."

Mikan smiled. "We chose what to watch together, Ruka-pyon. We watched this anime called _The Devil Is A Part-Timer!_ that Koko recommended. It was really funny! You guys should watch it sometime!" She paused to sip her tea and enjoy another bite of her cheesecake before continuing. "Anyway, Ikeda-san took us out on the boat Tuesday morning while it wasn't raining and we played with a two-person inflatable." She grinned excitedly as she announced, "And guess what? I beat Natsume at a bet!"

Hotaru cocked an eyebrow, her interest peaked. She smirked in amusement at Natsume as she asked, "Really? How so?"

Mikan bounced in her chair and swung her legs beneath the table as she spoke. "He thought that he could throw me off the inflatable while driving the boat and I bet that he couldn't, and I won! Natsume's a _maniac;_ he actually flipped the inflatable with his crazy driving, but I didn't lose my grip. It was so awesome! Now he owes me a favor, my choice," she finished smugly.

Hotaru's eyes gleamed. "Good job, Mikan. Be sure to save that favor for something good. Don't waste it on something trivial like changing his movie choice or something."

Natsume stared back at the stoic girl dryly. "Teaching her how to be devious, Imai?"

Hotaru took a dainty bite of her cheesecake. "Well, she's not going to learn it from you lot."

Aoi giggled. "So what did you do next, Mikan-nee?"

Mikan swallowed her last bite and set down her fork. After licking her lips, she continued. "We just hung out for awhile after that because we thought it was going to rain, but when it didn't, we went grocery shopping. I think we just chilled at the temple for the rest of the day after that. That was Tuesday, right?" she asked Natsume questioningly.

He nodded. "That was the night we watched _Going By The Book_ with your grandfather."

Mikan perked up. "Oh, yeah! It was _so_ funny, you guys. Even Jii-chan was howling with laughter. So then on Wednesday, Natsume took me on a date to Owase and we—"

"He w _hat?!"_

Mikan jumped, startled by Ruka's loud exclamation. Aoi had dropped her fork with a noisy clatter at the same time and Hotaru's hand had paused briefly while lifting her cup of tea to her lips, her violet eyes immediately locking on Natsume's face. The adults paused their conversation at the sudden commotion. With a twinkle in her scarlet eyes, Kaoru-san leaned over to whisper to Saki-san, whose soft violet eyes widened slightly as her look of concerned confusion became a warm smile. "Really?" she whispered in response. Kaoru-san nodded while Sakura-ojii-san chuckled softly as he reached for his tea.

"H-he took me to Owase," Mikan stuttered, blinking wide-eyed at Ruka, whose gaping mouth was quickly becoming an enormous grin.

"As a date?"

Mikan nodded.

"Natsume actually asked you out on a date?"

She nodded again.

"And you really said yes?"

Mikan looked puzzled. "Yes?"

"Why?"

She blinked. "Why what?"

"Why did you say yes?"

Mikan glanced at Natsume, then back at Ruka. Aoi fisted her hands in her skirt in excited anticipation, her eyes riveted on Mikan's face. "Because I like him."

" _Kyaa!"_ Aoi squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat as Ruka whirled towards Natsume, who was smirking smugly as he took a large bite of his dessert.

"You _jerk,"_ Ruka spat with a huge smile. "'This and that,' huh? Liar!"

Natsume cocked an eyebrow, enjoying his best friend's shock and delight. "I did tell you to just leave it alone."

Mikan's eyes darted around the group uncertainly. "Is that bad, Ruka-pyon, that Natsume and I went out together?"

Ruka spun back around to face her, his face slightly aghast. "What? No! No, not at all. It's great!" His face returned to looking pleased as he quickly tried to reassure her without saying anything that his best friend might deem _unnecessary._ "I think you two could be really good together. I'm just so surprised that _Natsume_ actually took a girl out on a date. He never has, you know."

"Did you have a good time?" Aoi asked, barely containing her excitement.

Mikan smiled broadly. "I had a great time! It was a lot of fun. We went to an arcade and saw the new Captain America movie." She gasped as if suddenly thinking of something important. "Natsume took down a drug dealer!" Her friends blinked. Mikan animatedly told the story of their misadventure in the park.

"Wow, Onii-chan, you're a hero!" Aoi teased with a wide grin.

Hotaru smirked sarcastically. "Yeah, a regular knight in shining armor."

"He was awesome!" Mikan praised. Tilting her head curiously at him, she commented, "You know, I only just realized though that you didn't take your own advice. Why didn't you run or scream for help? That's what you told me to do in that kind of situation."

"You can't fight," Natsume answered simply.

Thinking that his words were the reason behind his advice to her and not an explanation for his own actions in the park, she repeated, "Which is one of the reasons that _I_ should run or call for help, but why didn't _you?_ Shouldn't you avoid fighting, too, if at all possible?"

"It wasn't possible." Natsume set his fork down, having cleared his dessert plate. "If I'd tried to call for help, you would have heard me and come out of the restroom. If I'd run, they might have just let me go and still been there when you eventually came out. Either scenario would have led to them finding out that you were there, which needed to be avoided because, like I said, you can't fight. It was a small miracle that you stayed hidden even when you _did_ come out."

Mikan blushed at the realization that he'd put himself in harm's way specifically to protect her. Beside her, Aoi grinned. "Aw, you fought to protect Mikan-nee, Onii-chan? You might make a decent boyfriend after all."

Natsume smirked. "I'd have fought to protect you, too, Aoi. It's what I'm trained to do."

Ruka grinned. "You really thought on the fly like that? You might have a decent future with HDI after all," he teased.

Mikan's gaze turned to Hotaru, who looked back at her with a small, amused smile on her lips. "It sounds like you kept your head on straight for a change, baka."

Mikan beamed. "I did. Even the police officer said that I did a good job!"

"Tell us more about your date, Mikan-nee!"

Mikan turned back to Aoi. "Kaoru-san asked us to come back to Makikawa after that, so we picked up some desserts from a pastry shop and brought them home with us. Futaka-san made dinner for us and we watched a movie until the power went out. We played a round of _Splendor_ by the light of one of your emergency lanterns and I won! Then we ate dessert and went to sleep. The desserts were _insanely_ good! We have _got_ to go back to that pastry shop next time we visit Owase!" Mikan chirped enthusiastically.

"Did anything _else_ happen on your big date?" Ruka asked with a mischievous smirk, glancing at Natsume.

Mikan grinned. "Yes!" Natsume raised an eyebrow at her, curious if she was actually going to mention their kiss. So far, she'd left that detail out of her narrative and he didn't think that she was the type to kiss and tell. He was proven correct when she held up her right hand and said, "He gave me this! Isn't it pretty? He got it for me at a little shop we stopped by while I wasn't looking."

Hotaru's eyebrows rose as she looked at the ring. Turning her gaze to Natsume, she commented, "I'm impressed, Hyuuga. It seems you do know how to be brave sometimes."

Natsume smirked as he tossed back sarcastically, "Thanks, Imai."

Aoi squealed. "I'm so proud of you, Onii-chan!"

Mikan laughed. "He did a great job, Aoi-chan! It was a really nice date."

"So are you guys dating now?" Aoi asked excitedly.

Mikan shook her head. Natsume caught his mother's eye to indicate that she would want to listen before he spoke. "We're not going to put a label on this, Aoi. Polka Dots and I have talked. We like each other, but officially, we're still just friends. We're going to do this _our_ way at _our_ pace, so no, we're not 'dating' even if we end up going on other dates. I'd appreciate it if you'd all do your best to give us space and that definitely means letting _us_ control the flow of information. In other words, I don't want to get a phone call from Koko tomorrow asking how my first date went." He looked hard at his best friend, who smiled broadly.

"We get it, Natsume. This is important and we won't screw it up for you two."

"I won't tell anyone, Onii-chan, Mikan-nee."

Mikan smiled. "Thank you, Ruka-pyon, everyone. It's not exactly a secret, but it'd be nice to maintain a little privacy."

As they drank their tea, Mikan told them about the rockslide at the Watanabe farm and the subsequent clean-up that they'd participated in. She briefly described their lazy Friday, the cleaning they'd done at the temple that morning, and their afternoon swim. When everyone had finished their tea and cheesecake, the adults retired to the ground floor parlor to chat and relax while the youngsters went outside to walk around the beach and admire the sunset. As they made their way down the front steps, Aoi invited Mikan to spend the night, but her invitation was quickly declined.

"I'm sorry, Aoi-chan, but I have to clean the temple tomorrow, so I should just go home with Jii-chan tonight."

Natsume cocked an eyebrow at her curiously. "We just cleaned the temple today, Polka Dots."

Mikan smiled. "We cleaned the outside of the temple, but I need to clean the inside tomorrow. The Divine Commissioners are coming on Monday."

Mikan's friends looked at her in surprise. Natsume's eyebrows drew together as he asked, "Why didn't you say anything about it this week?"

Mikan shrugged. "It's not a big deal, so I just didn't mention it."

Ruka chipped in, "The Divine Commissioners only visit from the head temple once every three years, Mikan-chan. That alone makes it kind of a big deal."

Mikan laughed. "That's true, but they're just a handful of nice old men and they're just checking on us. I wear my miko clothes, I serve tea and lunch, I sit quietly unless I'm asked a question, sometimes they ask me to perform a ritual or something, and then they leave. Jii-chan does most of the talking. It's really not anything to worry about, but I do need to make sure that the temple is pristine for their visit. We made any small repairs while getting ready for the Summer Solstice Festival, so I'll just be doing a deep cleaning tomorrow."

Hotaru hummed. "They don't stay overnight, right?"

"No, they're usually just passing through on their way to one of the larger temples, like the one in Owase." As they walked along the beach, Mikan suddenly turned to her friends and said, "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I wanted to ask you guys about something that Natsume said during our date. Hotaru, Ruka-pyon, what's a fetish?"

Ruka and even Aoi froze, then whirled around to gaze at Natsume in hysterical astonishment. Hotaru raised both eyebrows at the teenage boy, who gazed blandly at his crush. "Thanks, Polka Dots."

Ruka's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide as he stared at Natsume. "What the crap, Natsume? _Really?"_

"Onii-chan! You have such a dirty mind."

"You've impressed me twice tonight, Mikan," Hotaru complimented her friend with a pleased smirk. "It seems like you remembered my suggestion."

Their friends looked at the violet-eyed beauty curiously. "What suggestion?" Ruka asked his girlfriend.

Mikan smiled innocently, her hands clasped behind her back. Hotaru smirked. "Oh, she knows what a fetish is; she's naïve, but not _that_ naïve. I told her that sometime when Hyuuga says something perverted to her, she should try innocently asking what he's talking about. Bringing it up right now was just meant to get him in trouble with the rest of us."

Natsume met Mikan's eyes. She fluttered her eyelashes at him sweetly. "Gotcha!"

Mikan whooped as she took off across the sandy beach, hotly pursued by Natsume. Ruka and Aoi laughed and Hotaru smirked as they watched him easily capture his prey, throw her over his shoulder, and make for the water's edge. Mikan shrieked and hollered, apologizing for her joke and begging him to spare her.

Natsume's revenge was carried out swiftly with a short fall and a loud splash.

* * *

After Natsume dropped her in the ocean fully clothed on Saturday night, Mikan went back to the vacation house with Hotaru. While she showered and changed, Hotaru asked her for a more detailed explanation of what had happened between her and Natsume, romantically speaking. Mikan didn't hesitate to admit to her best friend that they'd kissed several times, held hands, and snuggled. Hotaru could easily read her friend's happiness as she described the fun and warmth that she'd felt from being with Natsume, so she had only one piece of advice. "As long as you're comfortable, then do whatever you'd like."

Mikan didn't see any of her friends the next day while she cleaned and prepared the temple for its tri-annual inspection, but she did get to see them on Monday evening after the Divine Commissioners had come and gone. Mikan had been correct; the kindly older gentlemen in traditional Shinto priest robes had spent a pleasant visit at the temple without any problems or issues noted. Mikan herself hadn't even been needed the entire time and was allowed to do as she pleased while her grandfather sat in the main worship hall with the old men discussing the running of Makikawa Temple. After seeing them on their way, Mikan changed out of her miko attire and headed to the vacation house to see her friends again after their long week apart.

The days that followed were some of the best that the group of friends had ever spent together in Makikawa. Their activities were much the same as they had always been, but Natsume and Mikan's new standing with each other painted everything in a brighter, happier hue. They weren't a showy pair, but when they felt like holding hands, they did. When they felt like sitting next to each other, they did. If they felt like cuddling up with each other while watching TV, they did. Mikan was more openly affectionate with Natsume and he was more open in general with her. Ruka, Hotaru, and Aoi made good on their promise to not pester the two about their romantic feelings and gestures, but that didn't stop them from exchanging looks and whispered comments behind the pair's backs. They enjoyed their friends' happiness, gratified that Natsume and Mikan were finally pursuing each other beyond just friendship.

Before they knew it, a week and a half had rolled by. Hatsuharu-san and Tohru-san arrived from Tokyo late on a Wednesday evening and spent the following day relaxing with their families around the vacation home. Friday, July 22nd, was Sakura-ojii-san's 67th birthday. For his party, Mikan dressed in her new burgundy lace dress, her mother's pearl earrings, and Natsume's ring. Saki-san sent Ikeda-san to pick them up from the temple and drive them to the vacation house where a lovely dinner party had been set up on the beach. They spent a festive time eating, chatting, and laughing. Sakura-ojii-san grinned broadly when Futaka-san presented him with a beautiful strawberry shortcake covered in light frosting, fresh strawberries, and ripe blueberries. The group merrily sang the _Happy Birthday_ song to the dear old man before he blew out the candles. As they enjoyed the delicious birthday cake, he opened his presents. He thanked his granddaughter enthusiastically for the carved wooden box that she'd gotten him in Owase.

When all of the presents had been opened and everyone had finished their cake, Sakura-ojii-san graciously thanked them for their well-wishes and hospitality. "I am truly blessed at this ripe old age to be surrounded by so many warm, loving faces."

Hatsuharu-san, who sat next to his wife, smiled through champagne-colored bangs. "The pleasure is all ours, Sakura-ojii-san. You've been a dear friend to us and our children for many years, and we're grateful to have you." Tohru-san nodded silently from beside Saki-san, his emerald eyes shining softly in his stoic, solemn face.

Sakura-ojii-san smiled. "Thank you kindly. Your families have meant the world to us and I hope that we're able to continue these close friendships for many years, long after our young ones have grown up and forged their own paths. Now then, why don't we move this party inside so that the table can be cleared and put away before it gets dark? Tohru-san, would it be possible for the adults to join me in your office for a bit?"

Eyes flickered at the request. Tohru-san often spent time on work in his office when he visited Makikawa and no one was allowed inside without his permission. His face remained impassive as he replied simply, "Of course."

Hotaru eyed her father before glancing at Natsume, who caught her eye and shrugged. Mikan, oblivious as usual, rose from her seat and chirped happily, "What do you guys want to do now?"

Aoi smiled brightly. "Let's take a sunset walk on the beach!"

"No way!" Mikan refused. "Last time we took a walk on the beach while I was wearing a dress, Natsume tossed me in the ocean!"

Natsume smirked. "You deserved it, Polka Dots. If you really want to blame someone, blame Imai for planting devious ideas in your head."

As Mikan stuck her tongue out at Natsume, Ruka suggested in a placating tone, "Why don't we go inside and play a game? _King of Tokyo_ is a five player game."

"Yeah!" Aoi and Mikan immediately agreed. The five friends followed the adults inside where they settled in the ground floor parlor with the board game. They each chose a monster character and competed with cards and dice rolls to defeat each other until only one of them remained, becoming the King of Tokyo. It took almost an hour before Aoi finally defeated Ruka, the only other surviving character. She squealed excitedly, spinning around in her deep pink party dress. Mikan clapped her hands delightedly for her friend.

"I am now the _Queen_ of Tokyo!" Aoi announced, snatching a decorative silver bowl from a side table and flipping it upside-down on her head as a makeshift crown. Natsume snorted as Hotaru smiled. Ruka and Mikan outright laughed at the girl's antics.

At that moment, Saki-san entered the room. She chuckled at Aoi's appearance. "My, what a lovely hat, Aoi-chan."

Aoi grinned. "It's my crown. I won _King of Tokyo!"_

"Ah. Congratulations, dear," the kindly mother said with a smile. Turning to the other two girls, she smiled reassuringly as she asked, "Hotaru-chan, Mikan-chan, will the two of you please come upstairs? The other adults and I would like to speak to you both in Tohru-san's office."

Mikan's eyes widened slightly. She looked at Hotaru and saw by the minute crease between her brows that she, too, was surprised and curious. What on earth could all of the adults want with just the two of them? Were they in trouble? Mikan didn't think so since Saki-san was smiling and didn't sound upset, but something odd was definitely going on if even Hatsuharu-san and Kaoru-san wanted to talk to them without either of their own children present. A quick glance at Aoi, Natsume, and Ruka showed that they were all just as confused as Mikan and Hotaru. Silently, the two girls followed Hotaru's mother up the stairs to the second floor.

Mikan had rarely ever been in Tohru-san's office, so she found herself glancing around the room as she and Hotaru followed the lady inside. The left half of the room was furnished with typical office furniture, including a large mahogany desk facing two dark green leather chairs, several bookshelves, and a filing cabinet, but the right side was set up as a sitting area with a small burgundy sofa facing a modest, unlit fireplace and a matching pair of armchairs which flanked the fireplace to face the sofa. Tohru-san sat in a big leather chair behind his desk, his hands folded on the surface in front of him, his face relaxed, but neutral. Hatsuharu-san and Kaoru-san occupied the pair of chairs in front of the desk, but had angled them to face the sitting area where Sakura-ojii-san sat in the furthest armchair. All three of them were smiling with varying degrees of anticipation, but none of their expressions gave Mikan any hint about what they were about to discuss.

Saki-san took a seat in the remaining armchair and gestured for Mikan and Hotaru to sit on the sofa. Mikan found herself beginning to get nervous as she sat down, despite the reassuring smiles on the faces around her. She looked questioningly at her grandfather, who kept his silence.

"Mikan-chan," Tohru-san began calmly from behind his desk, redirecting her attention, "we've been discussing an opportunity for you that we're now ready to talk to you about. Hopefully, when you've had a chance to ask questions and consider our offer, we can get a decision from you. However, even though this conversation focuses on you, the opportunity—should you choose to accept it—would have the greatest impact on Hotaru-chan, so we thought it best for her to participate. Also, it was suggested that you might appreciate her presence as you hear our proposal."

The two girls looked at each other. Mikan's eyebrows were raised in interest, her nerves settling as the situation they were in became just a bit clearer and less intimidating. Her interest also piqued, Hotaru quirked a single eyebrow in response.

With a nod from her husband, Saki-san took over the conversation. "Since this will likely surprise you both quite a bit no matter how we phrase it, I'm going to present our suggestion very simply and let it sink in for a moment before giving you details and letting you ask questions." The girls nodded respectfully. Sitting forward in her seat, Saki-san looked Mikan directly in the eyes. "Mikan-chan," she spoke in a soft, clear voice, "Tohru-san and I would like you to come live with us in Tokyo so that you can attend Alice Academy with Hotaru-chan for high school."

Silence followed her words. The adults eyed her with expectation, but Mikan's mind had drawn a blank, as if not registering the statement. She blinked once, twice. Her mouth opened to pose a question, but shut again without asking one. She blinked again before looking at Hotaru, hoping to see an explanation on her friend's face. Hotaru was staring rigidly at her mother the way she did when her thoughts were running at a thousand miles per hour, collecting, processing, and analyzing data, the exact opposite reaction that Mikan's brain had chosen. Mikan's gaze swept over her grandfather's smiling face before returning to Saki-san.

"Come live with you?" she asked slowly. "And go to school with Hotaru?"

Saki-san nodded, deciding to go ahead and offer the shocked girl some details to help her process things. "You'd live with us at our home in Tokyo during the school year and come home to Makikawa during the summers, the same as we do each year. You'd attend Alice Academy for all three years of high school, the same as Hotaru-chan, Ruka-kun, and Natsume-kun."

Mikan understood what Saki-san was saying, and for a moment, her heart leapt at the thought of being with Hotaru and the rest of her friends all year round instead of only for a few short months at a time, but the joy never fully took hold of her as it was quickly overshadowed by an enormous point of confusion.

"Why?"

Saki-san blinked, not understanding Mikan's question. "Why what, dear?"

Mikan clarified, "Why am I being invited to do this? Hotaru is my best friend and I certainly miss her during the school year, but we've always been separated this way. I live in Makikawa and all of you live in Tokyo. That's how it's always been. So why is it suddenly being suggested that I move?" It was a legitimate question. In the ten years that their families had been vacationing in Makikawa, Mikan had never once visited them in Tokyo and Hotaru was the only one of her friends who had ever traveled to see her in Makikawa during the school year.

From her seat in front of the desk, Kaoru-san spoke up. "The point of this proposal is your education, Mikan-chan. Allowing you to be close to all of us is just a bonus. Alice Academy is the best high school in Japan. The name alone on your diploma opens many doors, not just to colleges, but for internships, study-abroad programs, jobs, and so forth. Makikawa High School is a very small, rural high school without the same resources and opportunities that Alice Academy has to offer. That's why we're offering you this chance, Mikan-chan, so that you can choose your future for yourself without limitations or regrets."

Mikan may have imagined it, but she thought she saw a shadow briefly pass over Kaoru-san's face at the last part of her answer. Their logic made sense to her, but questions and concerns began to flood her mind, one of which stood out above all the others.

"It sounds great, but I can't possibly leave Jii-chan to live by himself," she announced. Turning to the old man, who had remained quiet thus far, she implored, "You can't possibly plan to run the temple alone, Jii-chan. Did you agree to this idea?"

Sakura-ojii-san grinned. "It was I who suggested it." Chuckling at Mikan's shocked expression, he continued, "Goodness, dear one, have a bit of faith. I've been wondering for some time now when and how I should transition into retirement. I'm not getting any younger, and eventually, I won't be able to keep up with things well enough to maintain my priesthood. When the Divine Commissioners visited last week, I discussed my retirement with them in detail. Regardless of where you choose to attend school, I will be working with the Head Temple over the next year or two to establish a new priest for Makikawa Temple. If I'd thought for even a moment that you might wish to take over as High Priestess and make a career out of running our small temple, I would have discussed this with you first. However, since I've never believed that to be the case, I didn't want to fill your head with considerations about me. The three years of high school pass very quickly. You need to spend them focusing on yourself, your dreams, and your future. That's why I approached our dear friends about taking you to Tokyo to attend Alice Academy, so that you can experience a different way of life than the one you've seen here in Makikawa and broaden your horizons before facing the big decisions of college and career that will impact your future."

Mikan was stunned. She knew, of course, that her grandfather had been slowing down in recent years, but it had simply never occurred to her that he would retire before she graduated from high school. He was right that she had never been particularly interested in pursuing a career as a High Priestess, but she didn't have something else in mind either. She'd always assumed that she would think about those things once she entered high school, which she suddenly realized meant _now_.

Mikan looked at Hotaru, hoping once again to see something helpful on her friend's face, but Hotaru remained impassive, her expression unreadable. Mikan sighed, struggling to keep her thoughts straight. Could she even consider what they were suggesting? Leave Jii-chan behind for nine months at a time? Leave Makikawa, the only place she'd ever lived? Quit her miko duties at the temple? Never attend Makikawa High School? Never again attend school with the classmates that she'd known since preschool? And that was just what she would be leaving behind. What about what she would be facing? A new home? A new school? A new place? Could she face so much change at once?

Mikan bowed her head and rubbed her palms hard into her closed eyes. The magnitude of what the adults— _even her own grandfather_ — were suggesting was making her head spin. She took several deep breaths to keep from bursting into tears.

Mikan felt a gentle pressure on her knee. Her gaze followed the delicate hand up a slender arm until her moist amber eyes met the clear violet ones of her closest, dearest friend. Hotaru's strong, steady expression finally gave Mikan something to grasp besides her own tumultuous emotions. What she saw on her friend's face was confidence and… hope?

 _Hope? Hope for what?_ Mikan blinked.

Slowly, her thoughts began to change. Live with Hotaru? Warmth filled her chest. Go to school with Hotaru and Ruka and… Natsume? The warmth spread to her cheeks. Be neighbors with Natsume, Aoi, and Ruka? Have Kaoru-san and Saki-san nearby during those times that she found herself wishing so badly that her own mother was still alive? Mikan found her perspective quickly growing brighter. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend those few short years of high school so close to all of them before college and careers sent them all in kami only knew how many different directions?

Mikan took a deep breath and gripped Hotaru's hand on her knee before turning back to her grandfather. "How will you take care of yourself if I'm gone?"

"I'll hire a housekeeper."

"Who will take my place as the temple's miko until you retire?"

"Saya-chan approached me a few days after the Summer Solstice Festival about increasing her part-time work at the temple, so if you decide to go to Tokyo, I'll begin training her to take your place as the shrine's primary miko."

"And who will take _her_ place?"

Sakura-ojii-san grinned. "There are plenty of girls in Makikawa. I'm sure that one or two of them would be interested in the job."

Mikan hesitated before asking her next question, afraid that she already knew the answer. "How would we pay for all of this? Alice Academy is a prestigious, elite private school. There's no way that we can afford the tuition, let alone all of my living expenses even if I don't pay any rent to the Imais or contribute to groceries. Plus we're talking about hiring a housekeeper, increasing Saya-sempai's hours, and bringing on extra mikos during special events. We can't possibly afford to do all of that."

A mischievous twinkle entered her grandfather's eyes. "I'm proud to hear that my lessons on frugality weren't wasted on you, dear one. However, I assure you that all financial matters would be perfectly in order. The temple's income is more than enough to both increase Saya-chan's hours as well as hire extra help when needed. It may surprise you, but I've amassed a considerable amount of savings over the long course of my life, far more than it will take to hire a housekeeper and retire comfortably when the time comes. As for your school tuition and living expenses, your parents left you with quite the inheritance, mostly from their life insurance policies, which I have access to in your stead until you come of age when you turn 17. You can rest easy knowing that whatever decision you make, the money won't be the reason."

Mikan couldn't help gaping like a fish out of water. She had expected to be told that the Imais, possibly even with the help of the Hyuugas, had volunteered to pay her expenses for her, which she was fully prepared to protest. They had always been enormously generous towards her and her grandfather, but she couldn't have accepted a gesture that grand. The last thing in the world that she had expected to hear was that not only did her grandfather have plenty of money stashed away to provide for himself indefinitely, but she herself apparently had a small fortune that had conveniently never been mentioned to her before. Was this a joke?

"Are you kidding me?" Mikan asked. The adults might have been offended by her question if her tone had been sarcastic, but her voice was saturated with so much astonishment that not a single one of them doubted the question's innocence.

Sakura-ojii-san chuckled good-naturedly. He had expected as much from her. "Not at all, dear one. While I've certainly had to put more weight on your shoulders in physical housework and temple duties than I would have liked to put on any child, much less my only granddaughter, I've done my best to handle the immaterial matters such as the bookkeeping as much on my own as possible. You never needed to know how wealthy or poor we really were before now, so I didn't tell you. Now you know," he finished simply.

Squeezing Hotaru's hand as if to keep herself grounded, Mikan tried to think of a response and failed. Changing tracks, she turned back to Tohru-san and Saki-san. Timidly, she asked, "And you're both truly okay with this? With having me come live with you? Wouldn't that be… like… an invasion or something?"

She was pleasantly surprised when Tohru-san actually smiled. Saki-san looked surprised at Mikan's concern before her own smile returned. "Not at all, dear. We love you very much, not just because of your friendship with Hotaru-chan, but because of who you are to us all on your own. I'd love to have you around. Our home in Tokyo is even bigger than this one. Trust me, there's far more space than we ever really use, and with Subaru-kun living by the university, having you there would liven things up."

Mikan felt another swell of love and gratitude towards her friend's parents. Their kindness and acceptance had always made her feel special, but hearing them welcome her into their home so readily nearly moved her to tears again. Swallowing them down, Mikan turned once more to the person whose opinion mattered the most to her at that moment. Hotaru steadily returned her stare, their clasped hands still resting on Mikan's knee.

"What about you?" Mikan hadn't meant for the question to come out as a whisper, but it had nonetheless. "Would you be okay with me living in your house and going to your school?"

Ever since she was small, Hotaru had shown better control over her emotions than most children her age. She wasn't a heartless robot by any shade of the imagination; she simply experienced life less expressively and more rationally than other people. Still, the emotions she felt ran just as deep as any other person, maybe even deeper because she was able to focus on a few rather than being overwhelmed by many, as often happens to teenage girls. More than anyone else in her life outside her family, Ruka and Mikan had understood that about her and treasured her despite or perhaps _because_ of it.

With an affectionate smile that she saved for particularly special occasions, Hotaru answered, "Of course, baka."

For the first time since Saki-san had come to fetch them, a broad smile lit Mikan's face. She couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around Hotaru's neck in a tight embrace. Her tears finally fell as Hotaru held her back.

After a few moments, Mikan leaned back and brushed away her tears with her hands, sniffling in an effort to regain her composure. She tried to focus on another question to ask or concern to be addressed, but her mind wasn't grasping any no matter how hard she tried. Her emotions were almost spent and her brain just about fried.

Gazing around the room at the warm, loving faces all turned her way, her eyes finally came to rest on her grandfather's wrinkled face. The only family she'd known for two-thirds of her life, her grandfather was the person she loved most in the entire world. With a shaky breath, she asked him, "Are you sure you won't get too lonely without me?"

Sakura-ojii-san's gaze was warm and gentle. "Dear one, do you remember the poem you wrote when you were in the fourth grade?"

Mikan nodded. She'd been so proud when she'd brought it home to show her grandfather the big red "A+" at the top of the page right next to her little drawing of a simple pink flower in a brown pot. Her grandfather had loved the handwritten poem so much that he'd put it in a frame and hung it by the kitchen window where he grew one of his herbs in a window box. After passing by it each day for years, Mikan could recite it from memory.

"Plant me by the water

Where I can drink my fill.

Don't leave me dry and withering

In a pot left on a sill.

Plant me by the water.

If not, I'll never grow.

For only by the water's side

Will my flower ever show."

Rising, Sakura-ojii-san moved to sit on Mikan's other side and took both of her hands in his. "Dear one, I want you to blossom into the very best version of yourself that you can be, whatever that is for you. So did your parents. It was never Yuka and Izumi's intention for you to spend the rest of your life as a shrine maiden in this small village. They wanted you to grow up with the opportunity to be anything you want, anywhere you want. Going to Alice Academy and experiencing life in a big city like Tokyo, even if only for the few short years of high school, will open up pathways that could never be an option for you here. I'm not saying that you _have_ to go— the choice is truly yours and you will always be welcome at home at any time no matter what—but I ask that you really consider it, without thinking of me as a reason to decline. This is my chance to plant you by the water, to give you the future that your parents wanted you to have… one without limits. So yes, I'll miss you, but missing you will make your visits sweeter and it will all seem like just a little while when three years have come and gone."

Mikan saw the unshed tears sparkling in her grandfather's eyes, conveying his selfless wishes for her to prosper and his sincere joy at being able to do for her what his only daughter and her husband had wanted to do themselves, but couldn't. Overwhelmed by his deep, tender love for her, Mikan gave the only answer she could.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ha! So now all of you who thought Sakura-ojii-san was going to die can relax. He's just retiring! A much more logical and less dramatic reason to transition Mikan from Makikawa to Tokyo. Since they live at the temple, they'll have to relocate anyway once he retires and the new priest moves in, so this way, Mikan can have the stability of living in one home throughout high school. It's also more stable this way because no one knows where Sakura-ojii-san will choose to live when he retires.

Chapter 15 will most likely be the chapter that transitions them from Makikawa to Tokyo, but if not, then definitely Chapter 16. There's really not much left to do in Makikawa for the summer other than come to terms with the big news of Mikan's move and prepare for the transition itself. Alice Academy, here we come!


	15. The Road Less Traveled

Chapter 15: The Road Less Traveled

Natsume stared silently out the windows at the darkening sky. Mikan and Hotaru had been gone for quite awhile and he couldn't help wondering what it was that his parents and the other adults had wanted to talk to them about in private. Ruka and Aoi were sitting nearby playing cards together, just as curious as Natsume. They all looked up when Hotaru entered the room. With a sigh, she sank down onto a sofa.

Ruka's eyebrows furrowed in concern. She looked more tired than usual. He set down his playing cards and took a seat next to her. Taking her hand, he asked, "What's wrong? Where's Mikan-chan?"

Hotaru's gaze was serious and steady. "She asked her grandfather if she could go out for a bit."

Aoi frowned. "Go out? Go out where? It's already dark outside. What's going on, Hotaru-nee?"

Hotaru was silent for a moment, carefully considering how to explain the unexpected turn of events. Ruka, Aoi, and Natsume watched her quietly. When she was ready, she spoke softly and clearly. "Sakura-ojii-san is retiring." Surprise flashed across the faces of her audience.

"Wow," Ruka muttered, "I honestly didn't see that coming."

"Neither did Mikan," Hotaru replied.

"He's pretty old though, so that's okay, right?" Aoi asked, tilting her head thoughtfully. "After all, he turned 67 today, which is older than the national retirement age."

Ruka explained, "It's not _unusual,_ it's just unexpected. I don't remember ever hearing him talk about retiring. Regardless, it's a pretty big deal; when he retires, a new priest will have to take over the temple, and he and Mikan will have to move out."

Aoi gasped. "I didn't think of that! They live in the temple, but they can't stay there if they don't work there anymore." Nervously, she asked, "Do they have enough money for him to retire? Where will they live? Will Mikan-nee have to get a job?"

Hotaru snorted. "Calm down, Aoi. Apparently, they're both set financially. Sakura-ojii-san has savings set aside for his retirement and Mikan has a trust fund that her parents left for her that she didn't know about. Apparently, it's quite a large sum." She closed her eyes and reached her free hand up to rub circles on her temple, a clear sign that she'd been thinking too hard or too much, which was rare for her.

A mild frown marred Natsume's handsome face as he watched her. He'd known her all his life and could tell that she had more to share. "What else?"

Ruka and Aoi looked at Natsume questioningly. "What do you mean, Onii-chan?"

Ruka glanced back and forth between his best friend and his girlfriend. "Is something else going on?"

Hotaru slowly inhaled and exhaled. "It's going to take a year or two to find and transition a new chief priest into the temple and Sakura-ojii-san doesn't want Mikan to have to deal with all of that while in high school, so she's going to go ahead and move out now. That way, she'll have the consistency of living in one place for all of high school."

Natsume's frown deepened, Ruka looked surprised, and Aoi's jaw dropped. "She's going to live _by herself?"_

Hotaru pursed her lips at the younger girl. "No, she won't." Looking directly at Natsume, she dropped the bomb. "In addition to shielding her from all of the turmoil of changing leadership at the temple, Sakura-ojii-san also wants her to get a better education than Makikawa High School can offer. Therefore, to remove her from the environment created by his retirement process and to give her the best education available, Mikan is moving to Tokyo to live with my family and attend Alice Academy with us."

The silence that greeted her words was palpable. Aoi was the first to recover enough to speak. "Mikan-nee is going to live next door to us? Wow! That's awesome!" she cheered excitedly, her face lit up by a huge smile.

Without breaking eye contact with Natsume, Hotaru continued. "She'll come home with us in two weeks. She's been assured that she'll continue to spend her summers in Makikawa, will be able to visit her grandfather on school holidays, and can move back home at any time if she's unhappy living in Tokyo."

Aoi bounced on her toes in excitement. She whirled towards her brother, expecting him to be pleased, but was taken aback by the frozen look upon his face. She glanced at Ruka and frowned when she saw that he looked uncertain. "What's the matter with you guys? Why aren't you happy?"

Ruka took a deep breath and smiled gently at his younger friend. "I am happy; really, I am. Having Mikan-chan with us year-round will be awesome. But Aoi-chan, this is _crazy._ You've got to keep in mind that even if Mikan-chan is happy about all of this, it's still got to be a big shock to her and she's probably going to be really sad leaving her home behind, especially her grandfather."

Aoi's smile faltered at his words. She sobered as they sank in, biting her lip as she quickly became worried about her dear friend. "She'll be okay though, right? I mean, this is Mikan-nee we're talking about. She always makes the best out of every situation! And we'll all be together, so it's not like she'll be alone."

"Yeah, but Makikawa is the only home she's ever known and Sakura-ojii-san is her only family. Even as optimistic as she is, it's going to be an _insanely_ huge transition to leave them both behind. She's gone to school on the same campus with the same kids since preschool and now she's suddenly going to be the new girl for the first time in her life at _Alice Academy?_ How do you think Natsume's fan girls are going to treat her?"

Natsume's expression noticeably darkened at his best friend's words. He and Hotaru had simply continued to stare silently at one another as Ruka and Aoi talked. Natsume's mind had gone blank at Hotaru's announcement, then quickly gone into overdrive. At each new thought, he felt that he could see in Hotaru's eyes that she'd already thought of the same thing. Natsume had never even remotely considered a scenario in which Mikan moved to Tokyo before graduating high school, let alone considered the idea of her attending Alice Academy, Japan's premier high school for children of the rich and famous. There were so many pros and cons to this startling piece of news. The pros all seemed selfishly related to having Mikan close to them and the cons all seemed to target Mikan, dragging her away from her home and family, and into a high society world that was sure to bare its fangs and claws at her, a simple country girl.

Natsume clenched his fists and took a deep breath, knowing that all of the answers weren't going to present themselves to him right now. Hotaru's cool gaze told him that in the short time that she'd had to process everything herself, she'd somehow decided to support Mikan's move. He didn't outright acknowledge it, but when it came to Mikan, he trusted Hotaru's opinion even more than Ruka's. Deciding to set the doubts and questions aside for now, he headed for the door, wanting nothing more than to find the baka and hold her tightly.

"Where are you going, Natsume?" Ruka asked in surprise at his best friend's sudden departure.

"To talk to Polka Dots."

"Do you know where she went, Onii-chan?"

Natsume paused briefly by the parlor door. "Knowing her, she probably went to see her parents."

Hotaru released a deep breath as he disappeared around the corner. Turning to Ruka and Aoi, she said, "He'll take care of the baka for now, so I suggest that the two of you decide how you're going to approach her when she gets back with him. No matter how overwhelming this development seems to you personally, remember that it's a much bigger deal for her." The pair swallowed and nodded.

Out in the foyer, Natsume had just reached the front door when he heard the sound of footsteps on the main staircase behind him. Turning, he saw his mother making her way down. He swiftly approached her and opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand to silence him. "I already know what you're going to ask and the answer is no, this decision wasn't made because of your feelings for Mikan-chan or hers for you. Sakura-ojii-san has been considering this possibility for a long time and none of us were expecting it." She smiled. "That being said, now that the situation is what it is, you should consider if and how it changes things for the two of you. I take it that you were about to go follow her?"

Natsume nodded. "I think I know where she went."

Kaoru-san gazed softly at her only son. "I think I do, too. Go ahead and see if we're right. It's almost dark outside, so it'd be good for you to walk back with her." Natsume bowed to her before quickly heading out the door.

Makikawa Cemetery sat in the valley's northeast corner just far enough away from the beach to avoid risking any damage from the ocean waves and shifting sands. Long rows had been dug into the lower slopes of the mountain face to create a tiered layout for the many gravestones. Natsume carefully made his way up the stone steps by the light of the flashlight on his cell phone until he reached the right row. He took a deep breath when he saw her. Quietly, he approached the double headstone, bowing deeply towards it before turning to take a seat on the ground beside Mikan. He set his cell phone aside, allowing its glow to dimly illuminate their surroundings.

Mikan gazed at her parents' names carved into the smooth stone surface before her. She visited them at least once a month to clean their resting place, burn fresh incense, and change out the flowers, but she also came to chat with them when something was bothering her. Tonight, she'd run to them as a means of escape, desperately needing a chance to breathe and process things away from prying eyes and well meaning questions. Now she sat silently, having already poured much of her heart out to them before Natsume's arrival.

Natsume studied her face. Even in the dim light of his cell phone, he could see the moist trails left behind on her cheeks by her tears. He'd barely taken his eyes off of her all night, soaking in the beautiful image of her dressed in her pretty new dress with his golden ring upon her finger. He felt a pang in his chest at how different her expression was compared to earlier as they'd celebrated her grandfather's birthday together.

"I'm scared."

Natsume sighed at her whispered confession. He listened silently as she continued, "I'm scared that I'll miss Jii-chan too much to be happy and I'm scared of how he'll fare without me. I'm scared of starting a new school for the first time. I'm sad to leave Jii-chan and Makikawa and my parents." She drew in a deep breath. Turning to Natsume, she met his eyes as she smiled. "But I'm also really excited. It's something I've only ever dreamed about, to be with all of you guys all year long… to go to school together… to not have to say goodbye…" Fresh tears sparkled in her amber eyes. "Is it weird that I'm so happy and sad and excited and terrified all at once?"

Natsume smirked. "I think it's the most normal you've ever been, Polka Dots."

A choked laugh escaped her lips. As her tears began to fall, she climbed into Natsume's lap where she cried softly against his chest, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the change she was facing. Natsume held her tightly, closing his eyes as he willed her to feel him caring for her and supporting her. Truth be told, he was scared, too— scared that she would suffer at the academy, scared that she would decide that Tokyo just wasn't the place for her, and therefore, that she had no future being with him. He desperately didn't want that to happen. He wasn't overly hopeful and optimistic like Mikan, but he knew how he felt about her and what he wanted for the two of them, so he wanted them to have the best possible shot of making it happen and he just wasn't confident that her coming to Tokyo for high school instead of college was going to do that. Still, that's what was happening and he was going to do whatever it took to keep them from regretting it.

Natsume felt her release a shuddering breath before she rested quietly in his arms. He cleared his throat softly. "Mikan..." She leaned back to meet his gaze at the sound of her name. His gaze was steady and sincere, calming and relaxing her. "You won't be alone… in Tokyo, at Alice Academy… we'll all be there with you. If you miss home, we'll bring you home. If you miss your grandfather, we'll bring you home or bring him to Tokyo for a visit. I can't promise that things will be perfect, but I can promise that I'll do everything I can to make it worth it."

He was mildly surprised when Mikan chuckled. "It's so like you to vow to protect me, but there's something else that I'd like to hear more right now." She swallowed before softly asking, "Are you okay with me moving to Tokyo? I already heard from Hotaru, but I want to know from you, too. Are you okay with me invading your school and suddenly becoming your next door neighbor? I'm not expecting you to be _happy_ about it, but I want to make sure that it doesn't _bother_ y— What's with that look?"

Natsume was smirking at her so brightly in the dim light that she was sure that he was somehow making fun of her. "It's moments like this that I'm reminded how stupid you can be." He rolled his eyes when she looked puzzled. _"Of course_ I'm okay with it. I _like_ you, Polka Dots. Why would I be anything less than happy that we get to stay together?"

Mikan blushed warmly. She felt so much lighter after having a good cry and Natsume's words filled her with that special kind of affection that she didn't feel for anyone else. In the glowing light of Natsume's cell phone, she glanced at her parents' graves and whispered, "Don't look, Otou-san." Turning back to Natsume, she grinned mischievously as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him playfully.

Natsume smirked against her lips, highly enjoying the way she threw herself fully into it. He kissed her back just as fully, almost fiercely. They hadn't managed to sneak more than a couple of quick pecks since everyone's return two weeks ago and Natsume intended to relish this opportunity to kiss her without restraint. He openly accepted his feelings and silently vowed to himself once again that he wasn't going to lose her over this unexpected development. He held her securely as one of his hands brushed her long hair back behind her shoulder. Feeling delightfully devious, he moved his lips away from her smiling ones and onto the curve where her neck met her bare shoulder. She squeaked, instantly jerking away from him and slapping his shoulder.

"Natsume! Not in front of my parents!"

Natsume chuckled. "I don't think they'd mind, Polka Dots. If anyone knows that I'm not just taking advantage of you, I'm sure it's them."

Mikan grinned. "That may be true, but Jii-chan says that my dad was definitely the type who'd chase boys off with a stick, so I don't want to risk him sending any divine wrath down from the heavens, okay?"

Natsume smirked and wordlessly helped the two of them rise to their feet. He brushed the seat of his pants off as Mikan did the same to her dress. His eyes softened as he once again soaked in the beautiful sight of her with her long caramel tresses draped around the bare skin of her shoulders, the warm color of her lacy dress perfectly suited to her sun kissed skin tone. He surprised her when he took a step forward and hugged her tightly. In his heart, he sent a prayer up to her parents. _I swear that I'll do everything in my power to protect her in your place. I don't know if you trust me with her yet, but I'll earn that right no matter what it takes… even if it means putting off what I really want._

When he leaned back, Mikan was smiling. She turned to bow goodbye to her parents before Natsume followed suit. He picked up his cell phone and took her hand as they silently headed home. Halfway back, Mikan spoke. "I wonder if I'm smart enough to attend Alice Academy," she mused, scrunching up her nose.

Natsume snorted. "It's not a school for geniuses, baka. If you can pay the tuition, they'll take care of catering to your academic intelligence— _or lack thereof_ _."_

"But you, Hotaru, and Ruka-pyon are all super smart!"

"So? Every school has its top tier students and we just happen to be some of Alice Academy's." He glanced at her before asking, "By the way, how _are_ you paying for the tuition? Hotaru mentioned that your parents left you a trust fund. Is that enough?"

Mikan looked at him wide-eyed. "It must be because Jii-chan said that my parents left me a small fortune in life insurance money! Can you believe that? It sounds completely ridiculous, like something out of a movie."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow. "Actually, it's not that unrealistic. When my grandfather died, he had a multi-million yen life insurance policy even though our family was too wealthy to need it. I know because he left Aoi and I each a portion of our own. The money itself is sitting in trust funds until we turn 17, but we were informed of it when he died. I find it odd though that your grandfather never mentioned it to you before."

Mikan shrugged. "Now that I've had a little more time to process it, I'm not as surprised anymore. I think Jii-chan raised me really well and there are things that I might not have learned or cared about if I'd known that I had a bunch of money waiting for me when I come of age. Still, it's weird to think about." She smiled. "I'm really grateful though! I don't know how much is really there, but maybe it's enough to help me pay for college, too! My parents really blessed me by thinking ahead about my future."

Natsume squeezed her hand. He didn't know how much money Mikan's parents had really left her either, but he was certain that it was dwarfed by his own family's net worth. He'd grown up around incredibly wealthy people, and as a result, had met some unpleasantly spoiled and stuck-up individuals. Mikan's view of her unexpected inheritance was so down to earth and grateful, despite it likely being a mere fraction of his family's and classmates' wealth, that Natsume was reminded yet again why he liked her so much. Unfortunately, it also reminded him of why she was likely to meet resistance from some of his fellow students at the academy.

When they reached the vacation house, Sakura-ojii-san was ready to go home and Ikeda-san was just pulling the car up out front. Mikan hugged her friends and quickly assured them that although she was a bit overwhelmed by everything, she was genuinely looking forward to living with them all and going to school together. In a demonstration of how deeply she truly cared for Mikan, Hotaru hugged her for the second time that day. Even Natsume hugged her tightly in view of everyone before she skipped down the front steps and slid into the car. Ikeda-san shut her door before walking around to the driver's seat. Mikan waved out the window as they pulled away.

The last two weeks of that summer flew by in a whirlwind of preparations. Hatsuharu-san and Tohru-san went home to Tokyo a couple of days after Sakura-ojii-san's birthday. Saki-san and Kaoru-san seemed to work endlessly on preparing things for Mikan's arrival in the big city, including having a room prepared for her at the Imai residence and assisting Sakura-ojii-san with Mikan's enrollment at Alice Academy. They spent hours on the phone and their computers, sending all of the necessary paperwork via the internet and private courier. All of Mikan's school supplies would be ready and waiting for her in Tokyo; Komaki-san took her measurements so that a rush order could be placed for her new school uniforms. After obtaining her transcripts from her school in Makikawa, Mikan poured over Alice Academy's first year class offerings with the two mothers as she made her course selections for the first semester. Tobita-sensei, the Imai and Hyuuga families' chief attorney, was flown in from Tokyo for two days to handle the legal documents needed to give Saki-san and Tohru-san, with Kaoru-san and Hatsuharu-san as backups, the rights they would need to make decisions for Mikan's welfare (such as medical treatment) while she was in their care living away from her grandfather.

A lot was happening at the temple, too. Sakura-ojii-san interviewed several ladies from a housekeeping service before hiring an experienced woman in her late forties with glistening brown hair pulled back in a neat bun and warm hazel eyes; her name was Ito Sachiko and Mikan instantly liked her. They arranged for her to start a few days before Mikan's departure, giving them time to prepare the guest room for her. Sakura-ojii-san also spoke to Saya-chan about increasing her hours and training her to take over Mikan's role as the temple's primary miko with the understanding that he would no longer have a hand in her employment once a new priest took over. The high school senior was delighted at the unexpected promotion, though she was surprised and sorry to see Mikan go.

Mikan found herself in an absolute tizzy any time that she wasn't at the vacation house working on school preparations with her friends' mothers or assisting her grandfather with things at the temple. She spent hours going through her bedroom with Hotaru and Aoi, sorting things into boxes to come with her to Tokyo and arranging what she would leave behind in an organized fashion that would be easy to return to when she visited. When Sachiko-san moved in, she assured the harried teenage girl that she would clean the room regularly while she was gone so that it wouldn't become stale and dusty in her absence. Mikan thanked the warm, maternal housekeeper gratefully.

Mikan and her grandfather escorted Sachiko-san down Makikawa's main street two days before Mikan was scheduled to leave with her friends. They showed her all of their favorite places to buy groceries and introduced her to the shopkeepers. When they stopped by the Watanabe's farm stand, Mikan explained things to Ayaka, who hugged her tightly and wished her all the best. Both girls had tears in their eyes when they released each other. With a grin, Ayaka told Mikan, "I'm looking forward to hearing all about your big city adventure when you come home next summer!" Leaning forward, she whispered so that the adults couldn't hear her, "And I'd bet my last yen that you'll have a boyfriend by then, too." Mikan laughed through her tears and waved brightly as she left.

When they reached the harbor, they went straight to the Akawa family's wooden booth. Shinji grinned delightedly when he spotted them. "Good morning, Mikan-chan! Sakura-ojii-san, Oba-san, good morning," he greeted, bowing respectfully to his elders.

Mikan gasped. "Oh, Shinji-kun! I completely forgot about having you over for dinner. I'm so sorry! Things have just been crazy busy."

Shinji smiled. "It's okay. I noticed that you haven't been around lately. You'll have me over eventually, so it's no rush."

Mikan winced. "Actually, I can't. That's the problem. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, so there's no time left to have you over."

Shinji blinked. "Leaving? Are you not coming back or something?"

Sakura-ojii-san explained to the boy about his impending retirement and Mikan's move to Tokyo. During his short narrative, he formally introduced Sachiko-san as his new housekeeper. Shinji struggled to keep the shock off of his face as he listened. He bowed low to Sachiko-san as he introduced himself, taking advantage of the posture that naturally hid his face to compose himself. When he straightened, he managed to smile at Mikan.

"I'm sorry to see you go, but I wish you the best of luck. I'll… miss you, Mikan-chan."

Mikan smiled. She remembered what Ayaka had told her about needing to be sensitive towards Shinji because of his romantic feelings for her, so she tried to moderate her farewell to him. "Thank you, Shinji-kun. I'll miss everyone at school, but I'll be home to visit each summer. I apologize that I wasn't able to thank you properly for delivering the fish. You have my sincere gratitude." She bowed briefly before turning away with a wave. "Take care, Shinji-kun!" Shinji watched morosely as the girl he'd liked since he was small disappeared with her grandfather and housekeeper down the busy market street.

The next day was Friday, August 5th, Mikan's last full day in Makikawa. When she woke up, she lay in bed for an extra few minutes, mulling over the surreal feeling of knowing that she wouldn't be home again for a long time. Her grandfather was going to spend that night with her at the vacation house so that she could leave with her friends and their families bright and early the next morning with her grandfather there to say goodbye. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before rolling out of bed and starting her day.

After eating a warm breakfast prepared by Sachiko-san, Sakura-ojii-san insisted that Mikan leave her bags for Ikeda-san to take over to the vacation house and spend her last day as she pleased. "You've worked really hard these past two weeks and I'm sure that you have things you'd like to do before leaving tomorrow."

Mikan hugged her grandfather tightly. "Thanks, Jii-chan. I'll see you at the vacation house later, right?"

"Of course, dear."

As she approached the temple's main gate, Mikan took one last good look at her childhood home. She knew that she could come back as early as Fall Break, but even a couple of months was an incredibly long time for her and she knew that things just wouldn't be the same anymore. With a heavy sigh, she squared her shoulders and made her way towards the cemetery. She wanted to give her parents' resting place an extra good cleaning and spend some time saying goodbye.

When she was finally ready to leave the cemetery, Mikan brushed the tears from her eyes and headed towards the vacation house. She'd had enough solitude for now and wanted some company. She found all of her friends swimming in the pool when she arrived.

"Mikan-nee! Come swim with us! It's our last day of summer vacation in Makikawa!" Aoi shouted cheerfully from her place on top of a bright yellow float.

Mikan smiled. "Okay! My swimsuit is upstairs. I'll be right back."

"Need any help?" Natsume asked with a sly smirk.

"Uh, _no,"_ Mikan replied with a roll of her eyes. Her friends were making light of what could easily be a melancholy day for her and she appreciated it.

They spent their last day in Makikawa simply relaxing and fooling around. Mikan was tempted to go for a walk to visit all of the places that she was most familiar with, but was afraid that it would depress her and she wanted to focus on the good things that she was about to gain rather than the things that she would lose in the process. They ended the day the same way that they'd begun their summer, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores by a bonfire on the beach. The adults sent them to bed early, reminding them that they had an early start the next morning. As they headed inside, Mikan lingered on the front porch, staring out at the vast, beautiful ocean as the sun dipped low towards the horizon. When she finally approached the door, she saw Natsume standing there waiting for her. When she met his deep garnet eyes, she slipped her hand into his and smiled. He squeezed her hand and she released a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay.

Just as Mikan was crawling into bed, she heard a soft tapping on her guest room door. "Come in," she called. She smiled in surprise when Kaoru-san slipped inside. "Hi, Kaoru-san!"

"Hi, sweetheart." Kaoru-san smiled warmly as she approached. "May I have a seat?"

"Of course!" Mikan chirped, scooting over so that Natsume and Aoi's mother could sit on the side of the bed.

"So how are you feeling?" Kaoru-san asked, her glittering scarlet eyes filled with maternal warmth.

Mikan smiled, but released a deep sigh. "I'm… okay. I _know_ that this is going to be really fun and exciting, but I also know that I'm going to cry and feel sad when I say goodbye to Jii-chan tomorrow." She bit her lip as tears filled her eyes at the very mention of the emotional farewell that was coming.

Kaoru-san gently reached to pull Mikan into her arms. She rocked her soothingly as the girl cried softly against her chest. Mikan had missed out on years of loving, tender hugs from her mother and Kaoru-san was more than happy to step in as she had many times over their ten summers together. "That's perfectly fine, sweetheart. Goodbyes are sad. You'll feel better if you don't resist it, so just let it all out. When the goodbyes are done, you can focus on the bright new adventure ahead of you, so for now, it's okay to be sad and it's okay to cry about it."

Mikan soon quieted as Kaoru-san rubbed her back and brushed her hair out of her face. She didn't lean back from the sweet embrace until a knock sounded on her door. "Come in." Mikan wiped the tears from her cheeks as Komaki-san entered with a small tray.

Kaoru-san smiled. "I asked Komaki-san to bring you some tea and diphenhydramine to help you sleep; it's an antihistamine, so it's perfectly safe. We've got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow, so I thought you could use a good rest."

Mikan nodded. Although she was exhausted, her mind was on overdrive, making her worry that she'd lay awake all night and be miserable tomorrow, so she was grateful for the medicine. She thanked the Hyuuga family maid as she accepted the small pills and the little glass of tea. When she'd finished them, she gave Komaki-san back the glass and smiled broadly, feeling much better after her crying spell and the warm tea. "Thank you, Kaoru-san! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Kaoru-san replied, kissing Mikan's forehead affectionately before following Komaki-san out the door.

Mikan switched off the lamp on the bedside table and snuggled under the covers. Before she knew it, she was waking up to the sound of the alarm clock on her cell phone. After shutting it off, she stretched. She'd slept incredibly soundly all night and felt pleasantly energized. Hopping out of bed, she quickly showered and dressed, making sure to repack her overnight bag with all of her belongings before heading downstairs where she deposited the bag by the front door. She skipped into the dining room to find all of the adults, including her grandfather, and Natsume eating breakfast from an assortment of dishes laid out on the buffet against the wall. She greeted them warmly before filling her plate. She planted a kiss on her grandfather's cheek before taking a seat next to Natsume, who quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You're awfully chipper this morning, Polka Dots."

Mikan grinned. "I slept really well last night. Besides, today's a big day! When I go to bed tonight, I'll be in Tokyo _for the first time ever!_ I've never been to Hotaru's house or yours and today I'll get to see them both!" All around the table, lips turned up in relieved smiles at her positive attitude. She was still likely to cry when they left, but at least she was beginning the day as her usual, optimistic self.

Shortly after, Ruka and Aoi joined them, followed lastly by Hotaru. When everyone had finished eating, Saki-san asked the young ones to use the restroom before heading out to the front porch to say their goodbyes. Mikan's smile faltered for the first time that morning as she met her grandfather's eyes. The old man smiled. "Don't worry, dear. I'll be waiting for you." Mikan nodded and headed out of the dining room. After using the restroom and washing her hands, she slowly headed out the front door. The time had finally come to say goodbye.

Their friends had already said their farewells to the dear old priest and were waiting respectfully by the two cars that would caravan to Tokyo. They watched silently as Mikan and Sakura-ojii-san shared a warm, tight embrace.

"I love you so much, Jii-chan."

"And I you, dear, more than you could ever possibly know. You're such a very good, brave girl and I just can't wait to hear all about the remarkable things that you're about to accomplish. Your parents and I are so proud of you. Remember that the temple is still your home and you are welcome whenever you'd like to visit. In the meantime, Saki-san has given me Imai Tech's latest model of those smart phone things and showed me how to do a video call so that we can see each other at any time day or night."

Mikan laughed as she leaned back, tears streaming down her face. "Wow, Jii-chan! Your first cell phone! I guess things really are changing."

The old man grinned. "This old dog can still learn a few new tricks. Who knows? Maybe I'll get my ears pierced and a few tattoos by the time you come back."

Mikan snorted and covered her mouth as she giggled. "Whatever makes you feel young and hip, Jii-chan. You're going to take retirement by storm!" Her grandfather chuckled. After one last hug, Mikan kissed her grandfather's wrinkled cheek and hurried down the steps towards the waiting cars, wiping away her tears as she went. Saki-san and Kaoru-san had just taken seats in the first car as the teenagers began piling into the second one.

"Natsume-kun!"

Mikan and Natsume both paused to blink curiously at the old man, who stood on the porch with his hands clasped behind his back and a mischievous twinkle in his wise hazel eyes. "Be good to my granddaughter. I'm rooting for you," he called with a playful wink.

Mikan blushed furiously. _"Jii-chan!"_

Natsume smirked broadly. "Yes, sir." Mikan whacked his arm before diving into the car to hide her rosy cheeks. She moaned in embarrassment at Ruka's grin and Aoi's giggles.

As the cars pulled away, Mikan rolled down her window and waved vigorously at her grandfather's receding form. "Bye, Jii-chan! See you soon! Good luck finding a new priest! Take care! Call me! I love you!" When he was out of sight, she took a deep breath as fresh tears filled her eyes. She stared silently out the window as they wound their way through the village that had been her home her entire life. Her friends sat quietly, respecting her feelings. As they made their way up the steep incline of the highway that would take them away from the beautiful valley, Mikan took a deep breath. They rounded a curve and Makikawa was gone. Wiping her eyes one last time, Mikan spun around to face her friends with a wide smile. "Guys! I'm going to Tokyo!" she squealed excitedly.

Her friends smiled. They were finally on their way.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** We're finally moving on to Tokyo! Woohoo! :D There's still a week left before school starts, so look forward to seeing the Imai and Hyuuga homes, meeting some familiar faces, and living the high life before summer vacation ends.

Lots of love to all of my readers and reviewers! I apologize that I didn't get a chance to reply this week. RL is going to be pretty busy until New Years, it looks like. Cheers!


	16. Alice In Wonderland

**Author's Note:** Hey, guys! Sorry that I'm posting this later than usual. I promise that it's still Friday in my timezone though, so technically I'm not late, lol. This is very much a transitional chapter. I hope you like it!

* * *

Chapter 16: Alice In Wonderland

Saturday, August 6th, 2016

The summer sun shone brightly between cotton candy clouds in the light blue sky as Ikeda-san and Honzo-san drove the pair of sleek black 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrids along the highway. The luxury eight-passenger vehicles would make the 10 hour drive from Makikawa to the Imai and Hyuuga residences in Tokyo much less cramped than the smaller, though no less luxurious Toyota Centuries that the wealthy families preferred to use in the city. Ruka and Natsume had taken the back row with a seat in between them while the girls sat side-by-side in the middle row, chatting and giggling as they headed north along the highway. As the heavy emotions of saying goodbye faded, Mikan began questioning her friends curiously.

"So Alice Academy starts next week Monday, right?"

Aoi nodded. "Yep, on the 15th! We start a week earlier than you did in Makikawa, which is also why we get off a week sooner. We always spend that first week at home though before heading south for the summer."

Mikan whined. "That's such a bummer! I lose an entire week of summer vacation this way."

In the seat directly behind her, Natsume smirked. "Look at it this way, Polka Dots; at least you don't have to spend the last two weeks of summer vacation alone like you normally do."

Mikan smiled. "That's true! So everyone back at the vacation house will be home by the time school starts, right?"

"Probably," Ruka spoke up. "They'll head back to Tokyo as soon as the vacation house is cleaned and shut down for the school year, which takes a lot of work, usually about a week. They'll bring home anything we left behind when they come. A lot of it stays there though. Someone visits periodically to check on everything and the summer staff return a week ahead of us to clean and prepare things for the summer. It's a big job, which is why we only bring Honzo-san and Ikeda-san back and forth with us to drive, allowing the others to come and go on their own schedules."

"It'll be weird to only see certain people at each of your houses," Mikan commented, wrinkling her nose.

Hotaru shrugged. "It'll only seem strange to you because you're so used to seeing them all together at the vacation house. We pop back and forth between each other's houses so much that you'll get used to it quickly enough."

Mikan looked at her best friend thoughtfully, trying to remember details that she'd been told. "Futaka-san, Ikeda-san, and Komaki-san all live at Natsume and Aoi-chan's house, right? But Honzo-san and most of the others live with you?" Hotaru nodded silently.

From the back seat, Ruka smiled. "I think you'll really like their homes, Mikan-chan. They're on the outskirts of northwestern Tokyo, so we're not in the heart of the city like you may have imagined."

Mikan turned around to smile at him. "Your house is in the main part of the city though, right, Ruka-pyon?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's a high-rise condo, but I'm rarely there. I go back when my parents are home, but it's a really long commute to school, so I'm really grateful that Hatsuharu-san and Kaoru-san let me stay at their house most of the time."

"Not to mention that you'd get terribly lonely living alone all the time, Ruka-nii," Aoi piped in. "Okaa-san would never allow that!"

Ruka chuckled. "True."

"Anyway," Aoi continued excitedly, "we're going to have so much fun before school starts, Mikan-nee! You'll get to see our houses for the first time tonight and we always spend tomorrow resting, then on Monday, we're going to the spa!"

"The spa?" Mikan asked in surprise.

"Yep! Our mothers always take us to the spa for some mother-daughter pampering before school starts. It's _amazing,_ Mikan-nee! We get our nails done and we get facials, massages, eyebrow waxes, body wraps, the whole works! It feels _so good!_ It's the most relaxing experience you'll ever have."

Mikan grinned. "Wow! That sounds incredible! I've never been to a spa before, but I remember when Saki-san and Kaoru-san took us to get our nails done in Owase a couple summers ago." Her look became hesitant as she asked, "The massages are given by girls though, right?"

Hotaru smirked. "They have male and female masseuses, but the men do it better. Their hands are naturally stronger."

Mikan grimaced. "That may be true, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable having a guy I don't know putting his hands all over me. That just seems… weird."

Natsume smirked. He was about to tease her when she suddenly chirped, "Besides, if I want a stronger massage, I can just ask Natsume for one! His are incredible and he still owes me a favor when I need one."

Hotaru snorted. "Don't you dare waste that favor on a massage. It'd be such a waste after you've managed to hold onto it for this long."

In the middle seat, Aoi was grinning. "When did Onii-chan give you a massage, Mikan-nee?"

Mikan grinned back. "He gave me two while you all were out of town a few weeks ago. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed in my entire life!"

Ruka eyed his best friend in amusement. "He didn't do anything perverted to you, did he, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan blushed, remembering the way that Natsume had slid her swim suit straps off of her shoulders without even bothering to ask her first. "N-not really," she mumbled, turning to look out the window. Ruka's eyebrows rose at her reaction. He gave his best friend a pointed stare, but Natsume merely studied his crush's face as she stared out the window in front of him. He smirked when he saw that she was blushing, delighted to know that he stirred such feelings in her.

Remembering her promise not to push her brother and her friend too much about their relationship, Aoi continued the conversation in a more innocent vein. "Okaa-san said that we'll show you some of the city this week, too, but she doesn't want to wear you out right before school starts, so we'll probably just hang out at home a lot. We always have a small party with our friends a day or two before school starts, which is always super fun after not seeing everyone all summer, and this time they'll get to see you, too!"

Mikan grinned delightedly. "That'll be awesome! I've missed seeing everyone else this summer and it'll be nice to finally meet some of the others that I've only seen in pictures."

Hotaru eyed her best friend solemnly. "Don't forget that you have an appointment at the academy, too."

"Oh, yeah! That's when I'll get a tour of the campus, right?"

"And meet the principal," Hotaru replied.

Aoi giggled. "I heard that the high school principal is really handsome!"

Mikan smiled. "This is going to be a busy week. I hope that I can sleep well each night, otherwise I'm going to be a zombie by the first day of school."

Hotaru's face turned sour. "We always spend this week adjusting our sleep schedules for school, going to bed earlier each night and getting up earlier each morning. It's dreadful."

Mikan grinned, knowing how much her best friend hated getting up early. "As long as I can get some sunlight from my bedroom window, I'll be fine getting up in the mornings. I get sluggish in the winter though."

The teenagers continued to chatter among themselves as the hours ticked by. When they made their first stop about four hours into the trip, they used the restroom as the drivers filled up the gas tanks. After purchasing some drinks and snacks, they decided to watch a movie for the next couple of hours until they stopped again for a quick lunch. When they piled back into the spacious SUV, Ruka opted to switch seats with Mikan so that he could sit next to Hotaru for awhile. Mikan didn't mind at all; she nestled comfortably against Natsume for an afternoon nap as he silently read a manga, one arm wrapped snuggly around her shoulders. When they were only an hour and a half away from home, they made one last pit stop, knowing that it would be less convenient to get off the highway once they reached the city. Mikan bounced excitedly in her seat as she stared out the window, her anticipation mounting as her eyes searched for a glimpse of the famous metropolis.

"There it is, Mikan-nee!"

Mikan whirled around to look out Natsume's window. From the seat in front of him, Aoi pointed out her own window towards the distant horizon where sure enough, Mikan could just make out the city skyline. Natsume smirked when she practically crawled into his lap in her excitement to get a better look through his window. He thought about offering to switch seats with her, but where would the fun have been in that?

Mikan gasped and squealed as they drew steadily closer. Even from a distance, the buildings looked incredibly tall and there were so many of them. She'd never seen a real skyscraper before in her life and now she thought that she could see hundreds of the enormous structures.

"Wow! You guys, this is _amazing!_ Tokyo is every bit as incredible as it looks in the movies!"

Hotaru smirked softly. "You haven't seen anything yet, baka." Beside her, Ruka grinned.

"It really is an amazing city though; you aren't wrong about that," he assured his friend.

"Just wait till you see it from the inside, Mikan-nee! Owase has _nothing_ on a big city like Tokyo."

Mikan watched in awe as they merged onto a massive highway that wrapped around the huge metropolis, carrying them north for a long ways before they took an exit to head west. Mikan turned around to look out the back windshield as they drove away.

"Why are we leaving?"

"We're not, baka. We told you, we don't live in the heart of the city. Alice Academy and our neighborhood are both in the Ome district of Tokyo where there's more space. Our campus is huge, and our houses and yards couldn't possibly fit downtown," Hotaru explained.

Mikan blinked curiously at Natsume, who smirked. "Relax, Polka Dots. You'll like it."

Taking his word for it, Mikan grinned and plopped back down to face the front. She could hardly contain herself as they drove further and further into the outskirts of Tokyo until at last they exited the highway where they slowly made their way down a wide residential road. Ornate street lights lined the clean sidewalks. Well kept flower beds, trees, and shrubs gave the neighborhood a fresh appearance. On the far side of the sidewalks were talk brick walls broken periodically by black wrought-iron gates and small golden plaques indicating the house numbers and family names, giving Mikan the impression that the entire area had been built together as a matching community. Every street they passed looked the same as far as she could see.

"The houses are so tall," Mikan commented as her eyes soaked in the sights. She could easily see them even over the tall brick walls.

"Tokyo real estate is limited and expensive, so everything tends to be built upwards to maximize its usage, even out here," Natsume explained.

"What's that?" Mikan suddenly asked, pointing straight ahead.

Natsume took a deep breath, instinctively reaching out to take Mikan's hand. "That's Alice Academy."

Mikan openly gawked. The black gate was unlike anything she'd ever seen, towering at least two stories high and stretching a good forty feet wide. The brick wall that surrounded the campus perfectly matched the ones that blocked off the neighborhood's houses. In front of the grand entrance was a turnaround where cars could drop off and pick up students without having to make any awkward turns. Not much was visible beyond the gate. Mikan swallowed. She'd be lying if she said it didn't look intimidating. She looked away when she felt Natsume squeeze her hand, her troubled amber eyes meeting his reassuring garnet ones. She slowly inhaled as she pressed her shoulder against his. School would be fine. She'd have her best friends with her.

Ikeda-san slowed to a stop before turning right onto the cross street that ran in front of the school. The street looked just like all of the others that Mikan had seen except that there were distinctly fewer gates in the long brick wall to her left. After a few minutes, she could see the street dead end at a small park ahead of them. She didn't realize that she was squeezing Natsume's hand tightly. She bit her lip as she glanced around, waiting to see where they would go next. As the two vehicles idled in the road, the second to last gate on the left slowly swung open.

"Welcome home, Mikan-nee!" Aoi chirped excitedly as Ikeda-san steered the SUV through the entrance.

Mikan gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. "No way!" She sat up as tall as she could, straining against her seat belt to get a better view. "No _way!"_ She laughed delightedly at the shocking sight that greeted her.

"Surprise!" Ruka and Aoi cheered, laughing at their friend's expression.

"You guys, this is _so_ _cool!"_ Mikan squealed.

Beside her, Natsume smirked, pleased that she was so excited. "These were our mothers' families' houses. They became such close friends that they tore down the wall in between them," he explained. "The one on the left is the Imai residence and the one on the right is ours."

Mikan couldn't believe her eyes. Before her sat not one, but _two_ mansions, each significantly larger than the vacation house back in Makikawa and even the other homes that she'd glanced in the neighborhood. While the two homes shared the front wall that they'd just driven through, there was nothing separating the two properties along the middle, creating one sweeping lawn divided only by the two separate driveways each stretching from its own gate to the front steps of each mansion. Mikan could see a beautifully landscaped garden filling the space in between the two homes.

"Guys, this is a bit more than just being neighbors," she stated with a happy grin.

Aoi smiled broadly. "We _told_ you that we come and go to each other's houses as we please. That should have given you a hint."

Mikan laughed. "How could that have _possibly_ have made me think of this?"

At that moment, they came to a stop in front of the Imai residence. They quickly unbuckled, not waiting for Ikeda-san to come around to open their doors for them as they piled out onto the smooth, paved driveway. Mikan craned her neck back to see as much of the spectacular house as she could before looking to her right to eye the Hyuuga mansion the same way.

"So what do you think, Mikan-chan?" Kaoru-san asked cheerfully as she and Saki-san walked over to join them.

Mikan shook her head as she tried to absorb everything. "It's amazing…"

Saki-san smiled warmly. "Hotaru-chan and the others can give you the grand tour. There's still time left before dinner, so feel free to explore. I hope you like your new room. We had it all set up for you before we came."

Mikan grinned, bobbing a quick bow to the pair of mothers before racing up the wide steps towards the front door, her friends following closely behind her. A maid held one of the tall double doors open wide for them as they raced through. Mikan gaped at the oversized foyer decorated in tasteful, but expensive looking traditional Japanese artwork. "Whoa! That staircase is _huge!"_

Hotaru nodded. "I suppose it does make the grand staircase at the vacation house seem a little less _grand."_

Aoi grinned. "The one at our house is just as big! Onii-chan and Ruka-nii nearly killed themselves one time riding down it on a sled."

Natsume snorted. "We were perfectly fine. We just missed the landing a bit."

Ruka grinned as he quirked an eyebrow at his best friend. "I'm pretty sure we nearly killed ourselves."

Mikan giggled. Aoi grabbed her hand and began dragging her around the enormous staircase and down a long hallway. "Come on, Mikan-nee! The house is just a house. Wait until you see our backyard!" She quickly led her friend to a large atrium at the back of the mansion. Mikan marveled at the floor to ceiling windows that allowed plenty of bright sunlight to fill the space. Several tables and chairs were set up throughout the room, along with a number of small trees, ferns, and flowering plants that brought a refreshing bit of nature indoors. The room would make a lovely place to enjoy breakfast in the mornings, play a table game, or read a book on one of the chaise loungers.

Aoi tugged on Mikan's hand. "Through here, Mikan-nee!"

Several pairs of double doors made of glass were set into the wall of windows and Mikan followed Aoi through the closest one. The sight that greeted her stopped her in her tracks. She was standing on the largest patio that she'd ever seen. Tables and chairs were spaced out along the sides and a wide, tiered set of steps led down to a vast green lawn that stretched far and wide, bordered by the tall brick wall. A cluster of trees stood in each far corner and there appeared to be a thicker forest on the other side of the back wall. To her right, she could see the back of the Hyuuga residence. Instead of an enormous back patio, the mansion's back doors opened onto a smaller covered area with cozier seating and a built-in fireplace. Above the shaded seating area was a large balcony covered in small sets of tables and chairs overlooking a magnificent swimming pool, complete with a diving board, water slide, mini waterfall, and hot tub.

As Natsume watched his crush, he snorted. "You're such a crybaby, Polka Dots."

Aoi turned to look at Mikan and gasped. "Are you _crying?"_

At Aoi's exclamation, Mikan reached a hand up to her face. Sure enough, it was wet with tears. She laughed. "I guess I am." Turning to Hotaru, she explained, "I just never thought that I'd get this much green in the city. It's beautiful! Wonderful! I love it!" She continued to swipe at her tears as Ruka patted her shoulder.

"We're really lucky. Since Saki-san and Kaoru-san opened up the properties to each other, the yard is naturally bigger than it would be cut in half, but we're also at the corner of the neighborhood where they can't build any new houses, so the extra bit of land belongs to these two homes. Most of the other homes around here have much smaller lawns. See that wall at the back?" he asked. When Mikan nodded, he grinned. "Alice Academy is on the other side."

Mikan gasped. "Really? Your backyard borders the school?"

Hotaru nodded. "The whole street does. The academy's property is massive and the homes in this neighborhood are exorbitantly expensive in part because of their close proximity to it. A lot of students who live deep in the city stay in dorms on campus, at least during the week, so that they don't have to make the long commute every day. The families that can afford to live here usually pass the homes down through generations rather than selling them. When my mother's parents bought this house when she was still a student, it was the only one for sale in the entire neighborhood. Kaoru-san's family had owned the house next door for several generations by then. That's how they became neighbors and friends."

Mikan smiled broadly. "Wow. It's amazing how seemly random coincidences can change your life."

Aoi grinned. "Want to see your new room now?"

"Yes, please!"

"Hotaru-nee, will you lead the way, please?"

After passing through the atrium, Hotaru showed Mikan a much smaller staircase than the one at the front of the mansion that was much more convenient for getting to and from their rooms and the backyard. When they reached the third floor, she led the group down the hallway and around a corner where she stopped in front of the first door. A wooden plaque painted a deep shade of gold hung on the door with Mikan's name hand painted in beautiful white kanji. Without thinking, Mikan reached to squeeze Natsume's hand in excitement as Hotaru opened the door as wide as it would go and reached inside to flip on the light switch. Once again, Mikan's jaw dropped. Her friends stood in the hallway for a minute, allowing their friend to enter her new bedroom alone where she spun in a slow circle, her eyes darting here and there as she took it all it.

"Hotaru," she exclaimed in awe, turning to her best friend with a delighted grin, "I have a princess bed!"

Hotaru snorted and Natsume smirked as their other two friends laughed. They weren't surprised at all that Mikan compared the tall canopy bed with its sheer white curtains and golden bedspread to a princess bed. The whole room had been decorated in white and gold, an elegant color scheme abounding with girly details— a sparkling white chandelier, a glittering golden throw blanket draped over a cushy white chair facing the tall windows, a fuzzy white rug, golden wall décor, a glistening white vanity, a matching white desk and chair... As different as it was from her room back home, everything was perfect, a more mature version of the things she loved, perfect for a fresh new start for high school.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure this room is as big as my house."

Hotaru smirked. "It might be, but this isn't all of it. Look behind those two doors."

Mikan turned towards the pair of doors standing side by side in the middle of the left wall. Opening the first one, she immediately started laughing. "Oh my goodness, this closet is as big as my bedroom back home!" She wasn't exaggerating. The walk-in closet was broken into sections for different types of clothing and accessories, and featured a floor length mirror, a white bench seat, and a small window that faced the backyard. After closing the door, she opened the next one and squealed. A sleek white soaking tub and a glass shower stood opposite a toilet and a long vanity with a white marble countertop. The bathroom was at least three times the size of the one at the temple. She quickly shut the door and turned back to her friends.

"This is stupid."

Aoi giggled. "What do you mean, Mikan-nee?"

Mikan clasped her hands to her cheeks. "I'm going to become a spoiled brat living here! This is the most amazing bedroom I've ever seen!"

Ruka grinned. "Impossible. Hotaru's room is right next door to yours, so if your head gets too big, she'll come over and pop it. Natsume can always fire an arrow through your window, too, if needed."

Mikan frowned in confusion. "What?"

Ruka smirked slyly. "Natsume's bedroom is right across from yours. Look," he indicated, pointing out one of her windows. Her bedroom sat at the back-right corner of the Imai's third floor. Directly across from it, in the back-left corner of the Hyuuga's third floor, was Natsume's bedroom. "Those windows on the end are his. My bedroom is next door facing Hotaru's room and Aoi's is around the corner from Natsume's, facing the backyard."

Mikan plunked her hands on her hips and turned to glare at Natsume, who was smirking broadly at her. "I'm going to keep my windows shut _forever."_

Natsume chuckled. "I doubt it. You'd miss the view of the garden."

At his words, Mikan turned towards the windows again and looked down. Between the two homes was a beautiful garden full of flowers, shrubs, walking paths, and little sitting areas. She crossed her arms and muttered, "Well, I'll at least make sure that I only change clothes in the bathroom and the closet then."

Aoi grinned. "Don't worry, Mikan-nee, if he peaks, you can just call me and I'll stink bomb his bedroom!"

"After which, I'll drown you, Aoi," Natsume warned his little sister blandly. Aoi and Mikan laughed at his threat.

Turning to Hotaru, Mikan asked, "Can we see your room now?"

With a shrug, Hotaru led them next door. Her bedroom was decorated in shades of white, lavender, and deep violet. Instead of being sheer like the ones in Mikan's room, the curtains on her bed where a thick velvet material that completely blocked out any light when pulled shut. Mikan guessed that the two doors against one wall were a closet and a bathroom just like in her own room. "This is so nice, Hotaru!"

Ruka grinned. "You need to see the room across the hall. Come check this out." He led her back into the hallway where a door directly across from Hotaru's bedroom was labeled "Hotaru's Lab." He stood back after opening the door and turning on the light. Mikan gasped, then laughed.

"Oh, Hotaru! This is _so_ you!"

Hotaru gave a pleased smirk. "Of course it is." The room was effectively a small workshop. Tools and mechanical parts were neatly stored on various shelves and furniture all around. A table took up most of one wall while a desk stood in a corner, outfitted with multiple plug-in options to suit Hotaru's needs. "Just stay out of my lab unless invited and no one gets hurt."

"Yes, ma'am," Mikan teased, saluting the teenage girl, who rolled her eyes in response.

The group briefly toured a few other rooms in the house, mostly on the first floor, before Natsume, Aoi, and Ruka headed home for dinner. After eating supper with Saki-san in a cozy family dining room (as opposed to the massive dining room that was only used for group entertaining), Mikan and Hotaru headed next door so that Mikan could see the inside of the Hyuuga residence. Natsume, Aoi, and Ruka met them at the front door, which was held open by a middle-aged man with medium brown hair brushed neatly back and deep green eyes. Mikan guessed by the crisp suit that he wore and the deep bow that he directed towards them that he was one of the Hyuuga family's staff.

"Polka Dots, this is our head butler and chief of staff, Matsuda Tatsuya-san. Matsuda-san, this is Sakura Mikan, our friend from Makikawa."

The butler smiled as he bowed to Mikan. "It's an honor to finally meet you after all these years, Mikan-sama."

Mikan grinned and bowed in return. "Thank you! It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Matsuda-san!" When she straightened, she met Natsume's gaze. She cocked an eyebrow at him as she asked, "What?"

Her crush smirked. "It's just weird, you being here, a mixing of worlds."

Mikan's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Would you like me to go home?" Natsume rolled his eyes and reached to grab her hand, pulling her inside the house. Ruka and Aoi exchanged grins behind the pair's backs. Flirtatious little exchanges between the pair had become noticeably more frequent since they'd openly confessed to liking each other last month.

The Hyuuga mansion was every bit as grand as the Imai residence. Kaoru-san preferred a less traditional, more western style of décor than Saki-san, but the atmosphere was just as elegant and comfortable. Aoi had been right; the main staircase was just as wide and ornate as the one at the Imai mansion. The teenagers and lone tween made their way up the staircase first, heading to the third floor to show Mikan the bedrooms. They reached Ruka's first.

"Oh, Ruka-pyon!" Mikan cooed, heading straight for an oversized painting of Charlotte hanging on his bedroom wall. "It's beautiful! Oh, I bet Charlotte loved the backyard here."

Ruka smiled as he came to stand beside her. "Yeah, she did. It was really convenient having a wall all the way around the property here unlike at the vacation house in Makikawa; she could go out whenever she wanted and we never had to worry about her getting lost. She'd always get restless at my parents' condo. The city has a few nice dog parks, but it's not the same as having your own yard."

Mikan smiled as she explored the rest of the room with her eyes. There was a lot of navy in the furniture and décor. Several diagrams of various animals hung on the walls and she even spotted a bug collection in a glass shadow box. The furnishings were what she expected after seeing her own room and Hotaru's (a bed, a desk, extra seating, a chest of drawers, and a couple of bookcases). Grinning, she asked, "Did you let Charlotte up on that bed with you?"

Ruka grinned. "Of course! You know that I could never say no to her. She had me wrapped around her paw. Did you know that one time Charlotte was inside the Imai's house and went straight upstairs to Hotaru's rooms? I looked everywhere for her and when I went to Hotaru's lab to ask for help finding her, there she was, curled up under Hotaru's chair while she worked."

Mikan laughed. "I guess she got an invitation."

Hotaru smirked. "Charlotte was the best kind of company to have in my lab; she sat still and didn't make noise."

Ruka and Mikan exchanged grins. "Guess that means _I'm_ never getting an invitation," Mikan joked.

Ruka laughed. "Don't worry; she rarely invites me inside either, and when she does, it's usually to hold something, take notes, or be her test subject. It's not somewhere you want to spend a lot of time unless you're Hotaru." His girlfriend rolled her eyes, but didn't disagree.

Aoi bounced up and down. "Let's go see Onii-chan's room now so that then you can see mine!"

Mikan followed the girl to the room next door. "Wow, Natsume, somehow this is exactly what I expected your room to be like." The color scheme was black and various shades of red. In addition to the typical bedroom furniture, there was a large screen TV decked out with several different gaming systems. A couch and several chairs faced the TV, offering plenty of seating for a group of friends to play together. Several bookshelves held various manga and textbooks. Walking over to the windows, Mikan looked outside. "So those must be my bedroom windows," she mused. Natsume stepped up beside her.

"Worried, Polka Dots?"

Mikan smiled. "Not really. I always have the ultimate secret weapon if you ever do something super perverted."

Her friends gazed at her questioningly. "What ultimate secret weapon?" Ruka asked curiously.

Mikan grinned. "Kaoru-san, of course!"

Aoi laughed. "That's true! Nobody messes with Okaa-san!"

Natsume smirked. "Beware how the tables can turn, Polka Dots. As I recall, I have your grandfather on my side."

Mikan laughed and shoved him playfully. "He's _my_ grandfather before he's _your_ cheerleader, Hyuuga Natsume!"

"Come on, Mikan-nee! I want to show you my room now!"

Mikan smiled at Natsume before following his sister into the hallway and around the corner. She couldn't help laughing at the over-the-top bedroom. Everything was pink. A large, circular bed had been built on a platform in one corner and was covered in throw pillows and surrounded by curtains. Wall mounted shelves displayed various stuffed animals and a giant, fluffy golden teddy bear wearing a red bowtie sat on the floor beside the bed, the classic children's toy easily as tall as Mikan. The room was illuminated by not one, but two small chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling. "It's wonderful, Aoi-chan! What girl wouldn't dream of having a bedroom like this?"

"Me," Hotaru muttered. Ruka grinned and squeezed her hand.

Aoi grinned. "It's awesome, isn't it? It seems a bit childish now, but I don't see any reason to redecorate until I reach high school in two years."

"I think it's great," Mikan reassured her friend. "I have to ask, where'd you get the giant teddy bear?"

Aoi flopped down in the bear's lap, wrapping its arms around her like a shawl. "Otou-san sent him to me one year when he had to miss my birthday. He was at some business thing overseas."

Mikan nodded. "Is he home? I haven't seen him or Tohru-san yet."

Natsume spoke up. "They're at a charity auction together. They'll be home later and should be around tomorrow. They both get home really late a lot of evenings during the week, but they actually make it home in time for dinner some nights."

Mikan's smile faltered slightly. "I've always felt so sorry for your parents being separated from each other all summer each year," she told her friends. "I think it'd be really sad to be away from your spouse for so long."

Hotaru smiled softly. "They're adults; they make it work."

"It's better than being apart for the school year and only together in the summers," Natsume commented lightly.

Mikan blinked before smiling at him. "You're right," she said, slipping her hand into his. "But the best scenario is being together all year long!"

Natsume smirked. "It depends on how annoying your spouse is."

Mikan stuck out her tongue. "Make sure you consider that before getting married then!"

Ruka chuckled. "I guess that means you two are never getting married."

Natsume cocked an eyebrow at his best friend. "Feeling a little bipolar, Ruka?"

Mikan tilted her head at the pair. "Huh?"

"Nothing," Ruka said with a grin. "Absolutely nothing, Mikan-chan. Let's check out the home theater. It's even more incredible than the one in Makikawa!"

Ruka was right. The home theater on the second floor of the Hyuuga mansion was twice as large as the one at the vacation house. To Mikan, it felt even more spectacular than a real movie theater. Next, they went downstairs to show her the kitchen, dining room, several different sitting rooms, and the largest room in the house.

"You have a _ballroom?!"_ Mikan exclaimed, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Natsume smirked. "It's small, but yes, it's technically a ballroom."

Mikan gazed up at the exquisite chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. "Small or not, it's a ballroom."

"Sometimes we set up the karaoke machine on that platform over there!" Aoi chirped, pointing. "That's where musicians sit to play live music when we have them, which isn't very often."

Mikan sighed deeply. "Can we go outside for a bit? All of this grandeur is making my head spin."

Natsume smirked as he took her by the hand and led her out the back doors. Kicking off her shoes, Mikan pulled him over to the pool where she sat down to soak her feet. Natsume slipped off his sandals to sit beside her. She sighed contentedly as the water cooled her feet. Smiling, she leaned her head on his shoulder as she gazed out over her new backyard. The sound of the mini waterfall running down the rock feature in a corner of the shallow end of the pool was soothing to her ears.

As their friends settled into seats on the pool deck behind them, Natsume looked down at the teenage girl that he'd known since they were five. "Do you think you could be happy here?"

Mikan squeezed his hand. "I think I'm already happy here."

With a faint smile, he kissed her hair and leaned his head against hers as the warmth of hope and dreams filled their young hearts.


	17. Through The Looking Glass

**Author's Note:** Hi, guys. I'm sorry this update is so late. I'm pregnant, which for some women is a radiant, glowing experience, but for me and others like me, it's like PMS on steroids (exhaustion, headaches, backaches, and feeling like I'm going to throw up _all the time_ ). Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be a mom again, but the first trimester of pregnancy is just miserable for me, so I'm sorry to say that until I reach my second trimester and my hormones settle back down, I can't guarantee that I'll be as consistent as I was able to be during the summer. It's hard enough when my toddler wants to climb all over me and bang on my laptop any time I try to sit down to write while he's awake (of course, nowadays, when he naps, I nap, lol). Rest assured though, this story will continue on for a long time. There's still _tons_ in my outline that we haven't even touched on yet.

Thank you to all of my dear readers and reviewers for your notes of encouragement and enthusiasm for this story! I love you guys. You make it totally worth the struggle.

* * *

Chapter 17: Through The Looking Glass

Saturday, August 6th, 2016

The group of friends spent the rest of the evening relaxing after their long day on the road. During a walk around the backyard, they showed Mikan several features that she hadn't been able to see from near the houses, including a fire pit surrounded by log benches and stools nestled in the small grove of trees in the back right corner of the property. There were even a few hammocks strung between the trees behind the ring of seats. What had looked to Mikan like an extension of the Hyuuga mansion actually ended up being a small two-story pool house with a covered walkway connecting it to the main house. They stopped inside to show her the small kitchen, letting her know that the staff kept the fridge stocked with cold beverages for them to grab while they swam or played outside. There was no carpet in the pool house, making it a great place to dry off and change after swimming so that they wouldn't track water back through the main houses. Mikan marveled at all of the fantastic details that made her friends' homes simply perfect, at least in her eyes. More than anything, she loved the fresh green lawn, the plant life, and the open sky that she'd fully expected to be blocked by tall buildings. Even just a small slice of nature and the great outdoors reminded her of home.

Before the sun set, Mikan made a video call to her grandfather. She giggled madly when his face appeared upside down on her screen. She passed her phone to Hotaru, who explained to the elderly priest that he had his screen lock turned on and instructed him on how to turn it off. When his image had been flipped right side up, Mikan excitedly showed him her new bedroom and the enormous backyard. Her grandfather chuckled at her enthusiasm, pleased and relieved that she seemed so happy with her new surroundings already. When she yawned, he suggested that she turn in early for the night. She smiled as she said goodnight and asked him to greet Sachiko-san for her. She blew him a kiss before hanging up.

Saki-san stopped by Mikan's bedroom to make sure that she had what she needed and knew where to find everything in her new space. Her bags had been brought up for her earlier. "Our home is your home, dear, so please don't hesitate to make yourself comfortable. You're always welcome to anything in the kitchen and any of the staff will be happy to help you if you need anything. We use security cameras instead of setting an alarm at night, so you don't need to worry about setting anything off if you go outside at night or early in the morning. We'll get you set up tomorrow with a code for the front gate."

"Thank you, Saki-san! Everything is wonderful. I'm really grateful for all that your family has done for me. I leave myself in your care," Mikan thanked Hotaru's mother with a deep bow.

Saki-san smiled affectionately. "You're more than welcome, dear. Have a good night. Just come down to the dining room when you're ready for breakfast in the morning."

"Yes, ma'am. Goodnight!"

After a bit of unpacking, Mikan took a quick shower before sinking into a warm bath. She'd had a long, exciting day and was looking forward to crawling into her new "princess" bed. She giggled at how luxurious everything felt. Perhaps this was how Cinderella had felt after moving into the royal palace. She was almost ready to get out when her cell phone dinged from its perch on the windowsill, indicating that she had just received a text message. She reached for it and quickly read the short line.

 _Nice look, Polka Dots._

Mikan gasped, instinctively spinning around to look for any sign of Natsume. She quickly realized that he couldn't possibly see her since the bathroom window faced the backyard and was frosted anyway. With a great huff, she texted him back.

 _I'm in my bathroom. You can't possibly see me._

A moment later, she received a reply.

 _I know, but I thought it'd be fun to startle you anyway._

Mikan snorted before quickly typing out her reply.

 _PERVERT!_

Setting her phone down, she climbed out of the tub to dry off and get dressed for bed. When she entered her bedroom, she headed straight for a window and threw it open. Sure enough, there he was, leaning on one of his own windowsills. He smirked when he saw her and clicked a button on his cell phone. She answered before the first ring had finished sounding.

"I can already tell that this is going to be a bad set up for us," she told him, trying hard not to smile too broadly.

"I don't know, Polka Dots, I kind of like it," he answered.

"Of course you do," she said with a shake of her head. "What do you want, Natsume?"

"To say goodnight… and to remind you that I'm here."

Mikan felt her smile soften. "I know. I really, really do, Natsume."

He watched as she bit her lip. "What's up?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Goodnight, Natsume."

"Goodnight, Polka Dots."

After shutting her window and plugging in her cell phone, Mikan crawled into her new bed and turned out the light on her nightstand. As she snuggled down into the cushy sheets, she thought about Natsume and how nice it would have been to hug him goodnight before going to sleep.

That Sunday dawned bright and clear, a beautiful summers day in Tokyo. The five young ones spent their day casually playing and relaxing after the long trip they'd had the day before. They swam in the morning, napped in the afternoon, and had dinner together at the Imai house. That evening, they watched a movie in the Hyuuga's home theater before lounging on the back patio, enjoying some cold popsicles from the pool house's freezer. When Mikan went to bed that night, she slipped into a dream filled sleep full of rainbows and butterflies.

The next morning, Mikan woke to the sound of her cell phone dinging. After blinking the sleep from her eyes, she scanned the text message from Aoi.

 _Wake up, Mikan-nee! We're going to the spa today!_

Mikan smiled at the excited emoji that her younger friend had tacked on to the end of her message. After texting back a short reply and rolling out of bed, she quickly got ready and headed downstairs. Saki-san and Hotaru had just sat down at the dining room table. When the threesome finished their breakfast, they made their way down the front steps to join Kaoru-san and Aoi, who were waiting by the car. A surprising sight greeted Mikan in the driveway.

"Koko!"

The brown eyed, dirty blond teenage boy was chatting with Natsume and Ruka when he heard Mikan call his name. He gasped at the sight of her running towards him before a broad grin spread across him face.

"What?!" As the pair embraced tightly, Koko spun them around in a quick circle, causing Mikan to squeal happily, before he set her back on her feet. "What are you doing here, Mikan-chan?" he asked delightedly.

Mikan grinned. "My grandfather is retiring from the temple, so I've moved in with Hotaru's family for the time being _and_ I'll be attending Alice Academy with you guys starting next Monday."

Koko gaped. His wide eyes darted from Mikan to Hotaru, who stood silently in the background watching the exchange, then back again. "No way! _No way!"_ His cheeks stretched into the widest grin that Mikan thought his face could handle. _"Dudes!"_ He spun around to face Natsume and Ruka, his arms spread wide. "Why didn't you guys tell me?! This is the best news since sliced bread! Kitsu and I finally have someone else to goof off with! Sumire has another friend now! Plus, Mikan-chan can kick your ass when you get in a funk, Natsume." Koko's eyes twinkled brightly as he listed the benefits of Mikan's unexpected move to Tokyo. "This is seriously incredible and you didn't even bother to _mention_ it to me?"

Natsume didn't bother to defend himself, but Ruka smiled innocently. "We haven't exactly talked a lot since all of this happened. We knew you'd find out eventually, Koko. It's not like we kept it a secret or something."

Koko sighed and shook his head, as if pitying Ruka's assessment. Spinning back towards Mikan, he pointed at her with both hands and said, "I hereby officially invite you to anything that happens anywhere… forever." Satisfied with his all encompassing invitation, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly hit the speed dial. After a moment, his face lit up and he spoke excitedly into the speaker. "Sumire! I'm at Natsume and Ruka's house and you'll never guess who's here! It's Mikan-chan! She's moved into Hotaru-san's house _and_ she'll be going to Alice Academy with us! Can you believe it?" A few seconds later, his eyes widened. "You _knew?"_ He looked betrayed. "Why didn't you tell me? This is magical! This is as big as Vader being Luke's father!" His shoulders drooped at her reply before his whole countenance seemed to perk up again. "I love you, too!" He slipped his cell phone back into his pocket just as Kaoru-san beckoned Mikan to get in the car. Koko quickly told her, "Apparently, Sumire already knew about you being here. She said that she'll be seeing you at her mother's boutique later. I'm so excited! We're going to have a blast, Mikan-chan!"

Mikan laughed. "I'm excited, too, Koko! It's so great to see you! Bye-bye!" She waved as she headed for the car to join the other ladies headed for the spa.

Koko turned back to Natsume and Ruka. "This is going to be the best year ever!" Ruka laughed at his friend's enthusiasm.

Natsume smirked. "You and the baka make a dangerous pair."

Koko bowed dramatically, pleased by the comment. "So are you two ready to destroy worlds?"

Ruka chuckled. "I'm pretty sure this game's premise is to _save_ worlds," he corrected as the three headed towards the Hyuuga mansion.

Koko grinned. "Save the good guy worlds, destroy the bad guy worlds. There's always a little of both."

"If your character can't upgrade that lousy weapon of yours, you won't be doing either," Natsume threw in skeptically.

Koko blanched. "Don't underestimate Delilah! She's my hunter's dearest companion!"

The boys continued to discuss the video game they were about to play together as they disappeared behind the tall front door.

As Mikan slowly inhaled, she smiled at the soothing scent of lavender and vanilla. The white robe wrapped snuggly around her body was quite possibly the softest material she'd ever felt. She'd never been pampered so much in her life. Upon arriving at The White Lotus salon and spa in the regal looking Imperial Hotel, Mikan and her companions had soaked in a wonderful bath full of high quality oils and minerals before receiving full body wraps and a cleansing face mask. This treatment was followed by a deeply relaxing massage; enough massage tables for all of them had been lined up next to each other in an elegant room where peaceful music played quietly from hidden speakers. Now, Mikan felt like a princess as they lounged in a private room full of plants and a little flowing stream where they were enjoying a light lunch. She sipped her guava juice as she listened to Aoi ask her mother, "After this, we still have facials, manicures, and pedicures, right, Okaa-san?"

Kaoru-san smiled, her scarlet eyes twinkling merrily. "Actually, we have a bit of a surprise for you girls." Aoi, Mikan, and Hotaru perked up to listen. Saki-san smiled, apparently in on the secret, as Kaoru-san explained, "Saki and I thought that today should be extra special to commemorate Mikan's move, so after our facials and getting our nails done, we'll also be stopping by the salon wing to get our hair and makeup done. We've got an appointment at Eternal Sakura where the boys will meet up with us to dress up for an evening at the Starlight Lounge."

Aoi gasped in excitement and even Hotaru hummed approvingly. "Their crab roe is exceptional. Thank you, Kaoru-san, Okaa-san," she murmured with a bow of her head.

Aoi bobbed a quick bow, too. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Okaa-san, Saki-san!" Turning to Mikan, who was quickly bowing her own thanks, she explained, "The Starlight Lounge is _amazing,_ Mikan-nee! I always feel so grown up when we go there. They play live music and the food is delicious!"

Saki-san smiled, adding, "The Starlight Lounge specializes in accommodating underage patrons. They combine the refinement and class that we adults expect with a family-friendly environment that makes it easy for everyone to attend. For example, they have a full service bar that has a special menu of non-alcoholic drinks that look and taste just as spectacular as any of the alcoholic beverages. Hotaru-chan loves the Tropical Sunset."

Mikan looked at her best friend curiously. Hotaru smiled softly. "It's a drink with pineapple, mango, and strawberry juice. They doll it up to make it look fancy."

"They even add a little umbrella!" Aoi chirped.

Mikan grinned. "That sounds wonderful! I can't wait!" Turning to Kaoru-san, she asked, "Eternal Sakura is Sumire's mother's boutique, right? Koko mentioned earlier that we'll be seeing her there later."

"Yes, it is. Sumire-chan will be there for our appointment. She's been given the task of selecting tonight's outfits for you girls. She also has a few extra things picked out for you, Mikan-chan, to help get you started here in Tokyo."

Mikan beamed. "If it's Permy, I'll go with it!"

When they'd all finished eating, they made their way to another room where skilled estheticians gave them each a facial that left their skin smooth and glowing. Next, they sat in cushioned massage chairs as their feet soaked in warm jet baths full of flowery smelling oils and sea salts. Mikan giggled whenever the pedicure tickled. She chose a pretty pick polish for her toes. When it came time for her manicure, she decided to stick with the same color for her fingernails.

Finally, it was time to get their hair and makeup done. After changing back into their clothes, they followed their hostess to the salon wing. Mikan's hair stylist was a petite young woman with the longest braid of silky black hair that Mikan had ever seen. "My name is Kikyo and I'll be serving you today." She bowed to Mikan before offering her a seat in her black leather swivel chair. "What type of style are you looking for today, Oujo-sama?"

Mikan blinked, unsure of how to answer. "Uhh…"

Thankfully, Saki-san walked by at that moment as she followed the hostess to her own stylist's booth. "We'll be visiting the Starlight Lounge this evening, so something semi-formal, age-appropriate, and feminine would be lovely."

Kikyo bowed. "Understood." After running her fingers through Mikan's long hair, she hummed. "Have you ever dyed your hair?"

"No, ma'am."

Kiyko smiled. "You have beautiful natural highlights. Why don't we start with a wash and deep conditioning treatment? After that, I'll give you a nice little trim, just enough to get your ends even, then we can talk about styling options."

Mikan smiled brightly. "Yes, please." Ever since she was small, her father had wanted her to grow her hair out, so she'd only ever gotten it trimmed to keep it healthy, never wanting to lose any real length with a major cut. She'd gone to the same little hair salon in Makikawa all her life, which was nothing at all like the high end salon at The White Lotus. She followed Kikyo to a row of special sinks where the stylist skillfully cleaned and conditioned every inch of Mikan's long hair. Mikan closed her eyes and breathed deeply as Kikyo massaged the conditioner into her scalp. She was then instructed to sit under a special hair dryer for ten minutes to allow the deep conditioning treatment to set, after which Kikyo led her back to her booth where she covered Mikan in a sleek black cape to protect her clothes. She combed through Mikan's hair and quickly snipped off about an inch all the way around. Satisfied that her customer's ends were now even, Kikyo smiled at Mikan's reflection in her tall mirror.

"Do you have a favorite semi-formal style or something in particular you'd like to try?"

Mikan grinned. "I'd prefer to just trust your judgment, Kikyo-san. I leave myself in your care!" She bowed her head to her stylist's reflection.

Kikyo smiled warmly. "In that case, I think a classic princess do would look splendid. Your hair is so long that I can give you some beautiful curls without losing too much length."

Mikan clenched her fists in her lap excitedly. She never curled her hair because there was so much of it that it took forever. She watched curiously as Kikyo worked through her caramel tresses in batches, curling and spraying the long strands in sections. When she was finished, she disappeared for a moment before returning with a sparkling hair clip. She expertly pulled Mikan's hair out of her face, securing it neatly at the back of her head with the hair clip. She shielded Mikan's eyes with one hand while spraying the style with a final coat of hair spray. With a smile, she asked Mikan, "What do you think, Oujo-sama?"

Mikan bounced in her seat. "It's wonderful, Kiyko-san! Thank you so much!"

Kikyo bowed. "It was my pleasure, Oujo-sama. Would you like to see the back?"

"Yes, please!"

Kikyo offered Mikan a handheld mirror before spinning her seat around so that she could see the back of her hair in the tall vanity mirror. Mikan truly did feel like a princess with her long hair cascading in a beautiful waterfall of curls down her back. The hair clip sparkled in the light. "I love it, Kikyo-san! Thank you very much for your assistance!"

Kikyo smiled. "You're very welcome, Oujo-sama. I'll escort you to your beautician now."

After Kikyo removed her long black cape, Mikan hopped down from the chair and followed the hair stylist through an arched doorway to a brightly lit room full of vanities and makeup displays. They exchanged bows before Kikyo left. The makeup room's hostess smiled as she bowed to Mikan. "Right this way, Oujo-sama. Maika-san will be your beautician today."

As she followed the hostess across the room, Mikan spotted all of her companions sitting in various chairs getting their makeup done. _I must have been the last one to finish with my hair,_ she thought. After introducing her to Maika, the hostess left.

The beautician smiled. "How would you like your makeup done today, Oujo-sama?"

Mikan bit her lip uncertainly. "I'm not sure… I guess make me look pretty, please? But I prefer not to wear too much makeup; you know, nothing too heavy."

Maika grinned. "I know just the thing. I notice you got your nails done pink. Do you like pink?" Mikan nodded, smiling broadly. "Let's go for a pretty pink look then, shall we?"

For the next twenty minutes, Mikan sat quietly as Maika worked on her face. She had to try hard not to blink as the beautician swiped mascara across her lashes. "Wow, Oujo-sama, you have some wonderfully long lashes here once they're properly defined." After applying the mascara, she said, "Okay, lightly close your eyes while I sprits you with some holding spray." Mikan did as she was told, feeling a light mist settle on her face. "Perfect! What do you think?" She spun Mikan's chair around so that she could see herself in the vanity mirror.

Mikan gasped. She didn't think she'd ever looked so pretty in her entire life. More than her unexpected beauty though, she heart was gripped by a powerful emotion at how familiar the face staring back at her in the mirror looked. Her lips trembled as she tried not to cry. "It's perfect, Maika-san," she whispered. "I look like a younger version of my mother on her wedding day."

Maika blinked at her curiously. "Were you there?"

Mikan laughed and shook her head as she blinked back her tears, not wanting to smudge her makeup. "No, but I have a picture of my parents on their wedding day. My mother was beautiful. They died when I was four, so I've looked at that picture a lot." Looking up at the beautician, Mikan smiled as she offered her genuine gratitude. "Thank you, Maika-san. I've never looked better."

Maika smiled back, touched by her young customer's sincerity. "You're very welcome, Oujo-sama. Always remember what Audrey Hepburn said. 'Happy girls are the prettiest.'"

Mikan stood and bowed. "I'll remember that, Maika-san. Thank you again!"

Her group was waiting for her in the lobby when she was escorted out. Aoi instantly raved about how good she looked. Hotaru simply smiled softly as Saki-san and Kaoru-san complimented her, too, the pair of mothers looking surprisingly emotional at the sight of her all dolled up for their fun evening out. Mikan beamed at all of them, thinking that they, too, looked fabulous and beautiful.

"On to Eternal Sakura," Kaoru-san announced after she and Saki-san had taken care of the bill.

Mikan skipped beside Hotaru excitedly. "I can't wait to see Permy! It's been over a year."

Hotaru smirked. "She'll be happier to see you, too, if you can remember to use her real name."

Mikan laughed. "I call her both! She pretends that it annoys her, but she'd put up a bigger fuss if she really cared."

Hotaru nodded. "True, but I suggest that you not point that out to her."

Mikan gazed out the window as they drove through the city. She pointed excitedly each time they passed something she recognized— a Starbucks, a McDonalds, Tokyo Tower, etc.

Aoi eyed her friend curiously. "Mikan-nee, have you never been to McDonalds?"

Mikan shook her head. "There's one in Owase, but we've never gone to it when we've been there."

Aoi looked dumbfounded. "Wow. Somehow that makes me realize more than anything else that you really are a country girl in the big city."

Kaoru-san laughed and Saki-san chuckled. "Don't worry, Aoi-chan, Mikan-chan has plenty of time now to experience as much of city life as she wants, probably more than she wants."

Mikan grinned. "I want to try everything! May I visit HDI and Imai Tech sometime?"

"Of course!" Kaoru-san answered gamely. "You can see where Natsume does all of his training while you're there."

Saki-san smiled. "Hotaru-chan can bring you by after school one day."

"Thank you!" Mikan chirped happily. She returned her gaze out the window when Honzo-san pulled the car over next to a tall building. "Is Eternal Sakura in this building?" she asked.

Hotaru smirked. "This building _is_ Eternal Sakura."

Mikan's eyes bulged in disbelief. "The whole thing?" she clarified, thoroughly astonished. "I thought you said Eternal Sakura is a _boutique."_

"To be fair, it's a rather large boutique," Saki-san acknowledged. "The executive offices are on the top floor followed by several levels of design studios and quite a few levels for production. Beneath all of that is a floor for fittings and adjustments. Everything below that level is part of the boutique itself where patrons can shop for all kinds of occasions. We've taken a tour of the building before. Our appointment will likely take place on only one floor today."

After Honzo-san parked, he came around to open their doors. Mikan followed the ladies out of the car and onto the sidewalk where she continued to gape. "Still, it's pretty… impressive."

Kaoru-san placed an affectionate arm around her shoulders. "Remember, Mikan-chan, everything spreads _out_ in the country, everything grows _up_ in the city."

Mikan grinned. "Apparently! I wonder if I'll grow _up_ while I'm here."

Hotaru snorted. "If Sumire-san doesn't put you in a pair of heels while we're here, then I'm a turtle."

Mikan gasped as they headed for the main entrance. _"Heels?"_

Aoi giggled when Hotaru merely smirked, not bothering to reply to her best friend's dismayed echo. Thankfully, Mikan was quickly distracted as the automatic doors slid open, revealing the boutique's chic lobby. The white marble floors glistened beneath sparkling crystal chandeliers. Kaoru-san immediately approached the front desk where a stylish receptionist greeted them. "Welcome to Eternal Sakura." Kaoru-san thanked her before providing her name. The receptionist hit a few keys on her computer screen before announcing, "Sumire-oujo-sama is expecting you on the fifth floor. May I check any coats, purses, or personal items for you?" After the group politely declined her offer, she continued. "Right this way, please." Mikan could hear the click of the receptionist's stilettos on the marble floors as she escorted them around the corner to a set of elevators. She pressed a button to open the doors before standing aside to allow them to enter. After pressing the fifth floor button for them, she exited the elevator and bowed with a smile. "Please enjoy yourselves during your stay."

Mikan found herself glancing at her reflection in the elevator mirrors during the ride up. She felt so pretty after being pampered all day. She grinned when she met Hotaru's gaze. Her best friend looked incredible with lilac eye shadow, black mascara, and glossy, berry-tinted lips. Her short ebony locks had been teased into pretty wisps, making it look like an invisible breeze was softly blowing her hair away from her face. Hotaru smirked, knowing that Mikan was silently gushing about her beautiful best friend; after all, she'd raved about it for five minutes straight before they left The White Lotus.

When the elevator came to a stop, Mikan watched curiously as the doors slid open. She squealed excitedly and raced into the fifth floor lobby where she threw her arms around the person standing there.

"Permy!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Chapter 18 will focus on Eternal Sakura and Sumire. Chapter 19 will feature their evening at the Starlight Lounge where we'll meet some new characters. Chapter 20 will cover Mikan's visit to Alice Academy to meet the high school principal and get her school tour (more familiar faces in this chapter). Chapter 21 will focus on the end of summer pool party (spoiler: Mikan gets a new bikini!). Chapter 22 _should_ be the first day of school... I hope.


	18. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

**Author's Note:** Thank you to everyone for your well wishes on my pregnancy and understanding of the struggles of the first trimester. I appreciate you all!

* * *

Chapter 18: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

Monday, August 8th, 2016

When the elevator came to a stop, Mikan watched curiously as the doors slid open. She squealed excitedly and raced into the fifth floor lobby where she threw her arms around the person standing there.

"Permy! It's really you! I missed you! You didn't come visit this summer! How are you?"

"She can't answer you when you're crushing her like that, baka," Hotaru warned as she stepped off the elevator.

Mikan leaned back with a laugh. "Sorry, Permy! I'm just so happy to see you! I saw Koko this morning. I've really missed you guys!"

"Well… I'm here," Sumire (nicknamed Permy) answered haltingly. Her cheeks were flushed pink as she held Mikan's shoulders to steady herself from the girl's massive hug. The fashion guru met Hotaru's eyes briefly before quickly looking away in embarrassment. Hotaru was only too familiar with the affect that her best friend had on people like Sumire and herself; strong, confident girls who didn't care about other people's opinions of them, yet somehow melted at Sakura Mikan's genuine warmth and admiration. Sumire gently pushed Mikan a few inches away so that she could smooth her outfit.

Mikan smiled broadly. "You look incredible, Sumire-chan! Those clothes are so sophisticated. You could totally pass for 16 or even 17."

Sumire smirked as she tossed her forest green locks. "Thank you." Mikan's assessment was correct. Shouda Sumire was the daughter of a high profile designer and made sure to always look the part. Her makeup was immaculate. Her hair was sleek and curled at the ends which just barely brushed the tops of her shoulders. She was wearing a white strapless pantsuit with a sash tied around her waistline, accentuating her modest hourglass figure. Golden heels gave the already fairly tall girl extra height. Golden bangles and earrings completed her classy ensemble.

Turning to Kaoru-san and Saki-san, Sumire bowed. "Ladies, welcome to Eternal Sakura. Thank you for entrusting us with your fashion needs. Please don't hesitate to ask myself or any of our associates for anything at any time during your visit with us today."

Kaoru-san grinned. "Thank you, Sumire-chan. You're growing up so fast. You're just like your mother. She was _always_ the best dressed girl at school, right, Saki?"

Saki-san smiled. "She was indeed. You may have your father's hair, Sumire-chan, but you definitely got your mother's beauty and good fashion sense."

Sumire smiled smugly. She was very proud of her mother. "Thank you very much. Right this way, please." She led the group across the fifth floor lobby and through a tall archway into a room straight from a magazine. Bright lights illuminated the space from every angle. Racks lined every wall from floor to ceiling. Mannequins dressed in glittering jewels and formal gowns of all different styles were placed throughout the room. Two corners were set up as small runways surrounded by mirrors with curtain covered doorways at the back that led to spacious, private changing rooms. When Sumire turned around and saw Mikan spinning in slow circles with her jaw hanging low, she smirked. "So what do you think?"

Mikan blinked. "What do I think? I think this place is amazing. I wonder if Cinderella's fairy godmother shops here."

Although Sumire snorted and rolled her eyes, she was obviously pleased. Turning, she gestured to a woman standing off to the side, who strode forward confidently and bowed. "This is Shinon-san. She'll be assisting Kaoru-san and Saki-san today. Aoi-chan, Hotaru-san, Mikan-chan, I have dresses picked out for you to try over here." While Shinon led the two mothers towards one corner of the vast room, Sumire led the younger girls towards the other small runway.

Mikan chirped excitedly as they walked. "So Permy, you know that I'm living with Hotaru now and I'll be going to school with everyone this year?"

Sumire nodded. "So I've heard. With Kaoru-san and Saki-san's help, your grandfather has set up an account for you here so that you can get anything you need whenever you need it while you're in Tokyo. Kaoru-san had me put together a small wardrobe for you to help you get started. It should be delivered to Hotaru-san's house today or tomorrow."

Mikan looked confused. "But I brought clothes with me."

Sumire smirked, shaking her head knowingly as she led them to a row of cushioned chairs covered in rich scarlet velvet and carved wooden frames painted gold. As they took their seats, she explained, "You brought your country clothes with you, but if you're going to call yourself my friend, I forbid you to wear anything you brought from Makikawa off of the Imai and Hyuuga families' property— _including_ those pajamas you're wearing right now."

Mikan glanced down at her simple tank top and shorts. "These aren't pajamas."

"They are here," Sumire insisted superiorly. "You've got enough catching up to do without your abysmal sense of fashion making you stick out like a sore thumb, so just follow every piece of advice that I give you and _maybe_ you'll survive the first week of school without being eaten alive. Though frankly, I see very little hope of that." Turning to Aoi, she said, "You're first, Aoi-chan."

Aoi hopped up out of her seat and followed the elder girl into the changing room. As soon as they were out of sight, Mikan turned to Hotaru. "What did she mean?"

Hotaru's tone was bland. "She meant that a lot of our classmates probably aren't going to like you very much."

Mikan blinked in surprise. "Why not?"

Hotaru sighed. "Do you remember the story about Shouda starting the Natsume-Ruka fan club and naming herself the president?"

Mikan laughed. "Of course I do! That was back in kindergarten, right? I can totally see her doing that, honestly. She still really admires them both even though it's not romantic."

Hotaru nodded curtly. "That fan club was just a passing thing, a simple game played by rich little girls with an inflated sense of selfishness. However, it paints a pretty clear picture for you. Every student at Alice Academy is considered a socialite, a member of Tokyo's high society circle, and there are those among them that _expect_ to only associate with fellow members of high society. Do you see what I'm getting at?" When Mikan shook her head, Hotaru clarified. "There are some girls who've been raised to think that they may only date and marry boys who meet their families' elevated social standards. In other words, they view the population of boys at Alice Academy as their only potential dating pool and Hyuuga is at the very top of that dating pool. People are already going to wonder about you because of your friendship with Ruka and I, but there are going to be girls who'll hate you with a passion before even learning your name simply because you're so close to their handsome, precious Hyuuga."

Mikan smiled. "But that's so silly."

Hotaru sneered. "It's _pathetic._ Not all of our classmates are like that, but many of them are the epitome of spoiled, rotten rich kids. It's very likely that even setting aside the girls who are simply going to be jealous of you because of your association with Hyuuga, you'll still face resistance from others who are going to resent your presence at the academy because you aren't from a wealthy enough or prestigious enough family."

Before Mikan could reply, Aoi and Sumire appeared in the dressing room's doorway. Mikan smiled broadly, whistling and cheering for her younger friend. "Wow! You look so pretty, Aoi-chan! Way to go!" Aoi pranced down the red carpet, sashaying and twirling to show off Sumire's choice for her. The sleeveless dress was covered in silver sparkles from the waist up. The skirt was a double layer of cherry red satin overlaid with sheer red tulle, making the skirt swish and sway with Aoi's movements. The skirt was knee length in the front and a bit longer in the back. A little red bow sat at the front of Aoi's waist and a keyhole detail on the back gave her skin a space to cool. Sparkling silver heels, earrings, and a single ring completed the girl's look.

Sumire turned to Hotaru next. Mikan and Aoi chatted happily while they waited. It wasn't long before the other girls returned. Mikan gasped as Hotaru gracefully stepped down the red carpet on her way back to her seat. The light lavender dress showed ample amounts of Hotaru's pale skin with its strapless sweetheart neckline and short skirt. The lightweight material was feminine and delicate. Sumire had chosen an ornate, sparkling belt to cinch the dress at the waist. A simple pair of heels dyed the exact same shade of lavender as the dress adored Hotaru's feet. Sparkling earrings and a bracelet were all the jewelry that Sumire had provided.

"Hotaru," Mikan breathed, "you look like a princess… a queen… an empress!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "You're just biased."

Behind her, Sumire smirked. "Or I'm just that good and you're just that beautiful."

Aoi giggled at Hotaru's flat stare. Sumire finally set her gaze on Mikan. There was a glint in her emerald eyes as she said, "Your turn, country girl."

Mikan skipped happily behind Sumire, confident that whatever the fashion maven had chosen for her would look spectacular. She thought about Hotaru's prediction and Sumire's instructions to to change her fashion sense to suit the city lifestyle. She thought it was silly for people's clothes to make such a difference in people's acceptance of them, but she recognized that Sumire was trying to do what she could to protect Mikan from her new classmates' rejection. She smiled, once again treasuring her friendship with the bossy, confident girl. She looped her arm through Sumire's as they made their way inside the dressing room.

Sumire showed her a beautiful magenta dress with a strapless sweetheart neckline. The short skirt was comprised of three layered flounces. Sumire held up a glittering silvery belt in front of the waist. "Do you like it?"

"I love it! The color is fantastic! I can't wait to try it on."

Sumire smirked. "Are you wearing a strapless bra?"

Mikan grinned. "I am!" She quickly pulled off her tank top.

Sumire's jaw dropped in horror. _"That's_ your strapless bra?"

Mikan blinked, confused. "Yes?"

Sumire positively glowered. "Is that your _only_ strapless bra?"

Mikan hesitated before squeaking, "Yes..."

Sumire plunked her hands on her hips as she glared. _"That_ is a bandeau bra. Zero support, zero lift, basically the modern day equivalent of a female ninja wrapping her breasts to _squish_ _them down_ to keep them out of her way while she fought." With a huff, she walked over to a phone hanging on the dressing room's wall. She pressed a few buttons before listening silently for a moment. "This is Sumire. I'm on the fifth floor in dressing room A with client Sakura Mikan. I need an assortment of nude strapless bras in a range of plus and minus half a size of her measurements, please." After a moment, she thanked the person on the other end of the line and hung up. Turning back to Mikan, she shook her head. "We'll deal with that later. Let's go ahead and figure out your shoes."

"Where did you guys get my sizes?" Mikan asked curiously as she took a seat in an upholstered armchair.

"You got measured for your school uniforms, right? Kaoru-san sent them to us."

As Sumire opened a nearby shoe box, Mikan gasped. "Um, Sumire-chan…" When the girl cocked an eyebrow at her, Mikan winced. "I don't think I can… wear those…"

Sumire's smirk was almost evil. "Well, you're going to try."

Mikan did try. She nearly twisted her ankle just attempting to stand up in the five inch stilettos.

Sumire sighed. "I knew those would be a long shot anyway. Next!"

Mikan tried on a pair of four inch heels. She just barely managed to stand up this time, but her posture was so awkward as she fought to keep her balance that Sumire waved her hand dismissively. "Next!"

Mikan strapped on the three inch heels and gingerly stood up. She managed to take three shaky steps before collapsing in a heap. For some reason, her total and complete failure sent her into a fit of laughter. Sumire tried to scold her, but ended up fighting not to laugh herself. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Okay, okay, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I brought this last pair just in case you simply couldn't manage anything else. These are only _two measly inches_ and they've been specifically designed to offer the fullest level of comfort and support. They're basically _training_ heels."

Mikan accepted the silvery pair of heels. They looked much more manageable than the other pairs. Not only were the heels shorter, they were also thicker. The soles weren't as thin and skinny either, and the straps seemed to provide a more snug and secure fit. Mikan slipped them on, buckled them comfortably, and carefully stood up. She took one step, then another. She smiled as she slowly picked up speed. Soon she was prancing around the large changing room.

"Look, Permy! I can walk! These feel great!" She twirled once, her face lit by a bright grin.

Sumire folded her arms and cocked her hip. "Like I said, _training_ heels. I expect you to work your way up over time. It looks like your bras are here, so let's move on."

Mikan looked puzzled. "Where?" She watched as Sumire approached a panel in the wall. She clicked a switch next to a little glowing light and the panel swung open. Inside sat a pile of strapless bras. Mikan's jaw dropped. "Your changing rooms have elevators?"

Sumire smirked. "They're called dumbwaiters. They're like mini elevators meant for transporting items, not people. We have a number of them all throughout the building. They're incredibly convenient."

Mikan grinned. "I'll bet!"

It took fifteen minutes of taking bras on and off before Sumire and Mikan were both satisfied with one for Mikan to wear with her dress. Mikan bit her lip as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I still think this makes my boobs look _way_ too big."

Sumire huffed. "They only look so big to you because you're so used to squishing them down in sports bras and bandeaus. Trust me, girl, that cleavage is _all_ you, not the bra." When Mikan still looked uncomfortable, Sumire offered her a reassuring smile. "Let's get you in your dress. It offers far more coverage than the bra by itself."

Mikan slipped the dress over her head and Sumire laced up the back. After securing the belt, Sumire offered Mikan a pair of earrings to put on. She studied her friend for a moment before grabbing a bracelet and slipping it over Mikan's wrist.

"There! You're done. What do you think?"

Mikan twirled before the mirror. "I think Cinderella herself couldn't have felt as beautiful as I do right now. Thank you, Permy!" She smiled gratefully at her friend.

Sumire sniffed, trying to disguise that she was flattered. "Well, just remember this feeling of confidence when school starts next week. Always keep your head held high and don't let anyone tell you that you don't deserve to be there." When Mikan continued to admire herself in the floor length mirror, Sumire scowled. "I mean it, Sakura. You're in for a rude awakening if you expect everyone at Alice Academy to simply welcome you with open arms, so you need to prepare yourself to face some resistance."

Mikan turned to face Sumire solemnly. "Hotaru told me that a lot of girls are going to be jealous of me because I'm friends with Natsume and that other kids aren't going to want me there because my family isn't wealthy enough or prestigious enough. I've never expected everyone to like me even back at my school in Makikawa, and not everyone _did_ like me there. I know what it's like to get picked on and I know what really matters. As long as I have you and Hotaru and Natsume and Ruka and Koko and everyone else, I'm going to be okay." She grinned. "Who needs to be friends with everyone when I've already got the best friends in the world?"

Sumire blinked. She stuttered for a moment before heading towards the doorway where she held back the thick, red velvet curtain. "Go show them your outfit!" Mikan smiled broadly as she stepped through the doorway and onto the red carpet. Kaoru-san and Saki-san had already dressed and joined Aoi and Hotaru in the viewing chairs. They all oohed and ahhed as Mikan paraded down the aisle for them.

"You look _so great,_ Mikan-nee!"

"Very beautiful, Mikan-chan."

"Not bad, baka."

"Oh, I can't wait for Natsume to see this!"

Mikan paused, blushing at Kaoru-san's comment. "He and Ruka are supposed to meet us here, right?"

Kaoru-san smiled. "Koko's with them, too. I just got a text a minute ago that they've arrived downstairs." Turning to Sumire, Kaoru-san said, "I've spoken to your mother, Sumire-chan, and she's given her permission for you to join us at the Starlight Lounge if you'd like. Koko's mother has given him permission as well."

Mikan immediately whirled on her friend. "Oh, please, Permy, you have to come with us! We've barely had any time to visit yet! Come with us! Come with us! Please, please, please!"

Sumire rolled her eyes at the excitable teenager before turning to bow to Aoi's mother. _"Yes,_ Kaoru-san, I would love to join you all. Thank you very kindly for the invitation. I'll get changed as soon as I make sure that the boys' suits are acceptable."

Mikan and Aoi squealed with delight. "Oh, this is so exciting!" Turning to the two mothers, Mikan asked, "May I see your dresses now, please?" The ladies chuckled as they stood up so that Mikan could get a full view of their long dresses. Kaoru-san wore a draping red dress with thin straps and a V-neckline. Saki-san's spaghetti strap, straight line dress was a pretty shade of purple overlaid with a deeper purple design of embroidered beads. Both dresses cinched at the waist. "Oh, wow! You're both so gorgeous! I can't believe this is my first time seeing you both looking so fancy! I bet Hatsuharu-san and Tohru-san would swoon if they could see you both right now!"

Saki-san grinned as Kaoru-san laughed. "Oh, Mikan-chan! You're so, so sweet. Someday, you'll have a husband, too, and you'll learn that it never gets old to hear that he thinks you're pretty."

Mikan smiled. "That'd be nice." Through the room's large archway, she heard the sound of the elevator ding. She grinned when she saw Natsume, Ruka, and Koko disembark. She instantly made a beeline for them.

Hands shoved casually in his pockets, Natsume walked several steps ahead of his friends, who were laughing behind him as they all made their way across the glossy marble floors of Eternal Sakura's fifth floor lobby.

"Natsume!"

The excited sound of Mikan calling his name drew Natsume's eyes to the broad doorway ahead of them. The sight of the teenage girl prancing happily towards him stopped him in his tracks. She grinned broadly as she told him something that he completely missed, too focused on the curls tumbling down her back, the tasteful makeup that enhanced her pretty face, the enticing swell of her cleavage along the strapless neckline of her dress, and the smooth lines of her legs appearing from the bottom of the short ruffled skirt. When she stopped in front of him, he noticed the extra couple inches that the silver heels she was wearing added to her height. As he stared, her smile faltered slightly.

"Hello? Natsume? Did you hear me? I said your mother looks absolutely gorgeous!"

Natsume blinked. "She's not the only one." Behind him, Ruka and Koko's jaws dropped in delighted astonishment at their friend's rare compliment.

Her crush's comment took a minute to sink in, but when she understood his meaning, Mikan immediately blushed. She quickly spun around to hide her rosy cheeks. Natsume glanced up and down her figure again, his eyes lingering on the laced-up back of her bodice, before saying with a smirk, "I don't know what the point of turning around was, Polka Dots; the view's just as good from behind."

Mikan whirled around and closed the distance between them in two short strides. Jabbing her finger in his chest, she whined, _"Stop that!_ I can't handle you when you're being _charming,_ so get in there and go see your mother!"

Natsume's beautiful garnet eyes twinkled down at her mischievously as he leaned forward to whisper, "Fine, but you're still gorgeous whether I say so or not." With that, he strode past her smugly, knowing that her heart was likely racing in her chest at his flattery. He didn't outright flirt with her often, but when he did, he damn well did it right.

Mikan was blushing furiously as Ruka and Koko approached her wearing identical grins. "Your friend is mean," Mikan pouted to Ruka. Her friend's grin only broadened.

"I think you may have very nearly swept him off his feet, Mikan-chan. Natsume doesn't compliment girls— like, _ever—_ and you _do_ look incredible."

Mikan smiled. "Thanks, Ruka-pyon."

Koko laughed. "Ruka gets a thanks, but Natsume gets a telling off? I think the real issue here is that you _like_ Natsume, don't you, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan tilted her head at him cutely. "Well, of course that makes a difference, Koko."

Koko's eyes widened at her nonchalant response. "So you admit it then? You and Natsume really like each other?"

Ruka smiled. "Did you actually doubt it after Natsume's little show there?"

Koko grinned. "Not at all! I just wasn't sure if they'd openly admit it or not."

Mikan smiled. "We're only really admitting it to our close friends. We're not ready for just anyone and everyone to know yet. You know how Natsume is; he likes his privacy, and frankly, I'd prefer that people give us some space for awhile, too. We'll go public when we're ready, if we reach that point."

"You will," Koko beamed. "I've known Natsume my whole life and there's no one out there better for him than you. Even Sumire approves."

Mikan and Ruka both cocked eyebrows at him curiously. "She does?" Mikan asked.

Koko shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "In her own way, yeah."

"Ruka-nii! Koko-san! Sumire-san wants you two up here right away to try on your suits!"

"Thanks, Aoi-chan!" Ruka called. Koko winked at Mikan before following Ruka to heed his girlfriend's summons. Mikan followed the boys as the flush receded from her cheeks.

Back in the main room, Sumire was instructing the boys on which suits, shoes, and accessories belonged to each of them. She'd chosen identical suits in different shades, each with a thin tie and matte finished dress shoes. As soon as they disappeared into the dressing room together, Koko turned to Natsume with a grin. "So… you and Mikan-chan, huh?"

Natsume sighed. "Yes, me and Mikan. Keep that to yourself, please."

Koko ran his fingers over his lips and motioned turning a key in a lock and throwing it away. "My lips are sealed except to Sumire. I don't like to keep secrets from my girlfriend."

Natsume snorted. "If Shouda hasn't already figured it out for herself, I'm a monkey's uncle. Besides, Polka Dots is bound to tell her about it herself. She likes your girlfriend a crazy amount considering that they've only spent two weeks in their entire lives together."

Koko grinned. "It's because Sumire is awesome and Mikan-chan is great with people. Besides, they occasionally keep up with each other over the phone."

Ruka chuckled. "I'm glad that they get along so well. Shouda-san is one of the few girls that Hotaru genuinely likes and respects."

Outside the changing room, the ladies sat or stood while they waited. Mikan blinked when she suddenly found Sumire standing squarely in front of her with her hands on her hips.

"Okay, Sakura, spill. What's going on between you and Natsume-san?"

Mikan blinked innocently. "What do you mean?"

Sumire cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow at her friend. "Don't play dumb, Sakura. I saw that little exchange between you two when the boys arrived. Things have always been questionable between you two, but that was totally different, so spill. What's changed between you two this summer?"

Mikan beamed. "Oh, that! Natsume took me on a date last month. It was fun. We like each other, but we're taking things slow while we figure things out, so nothing's official and we don't want the whole world knowing about us yet."

Sumire's expression was frozen except for her wide emerald eyes that sparked and flashed as she processed Mikan's words. Then all at once she sighed. "I knew this was coming—I called it _ages_ ago— but for the love of Gucci and Prada, what made him decide to do this _now_ with everything else going on?"

Next to Mikan, Hotaru spoke up. "The date happened weeks before it was decided that Mikan would be moving to Tokyo."

Sumire nodded. "I see."

Mikan tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean when you say that you 'called it,' Permy?"

Sumire smirked. "I could tell that you two would end up together from the first week I spent with you guys in Makikawa. I've known Natsume-san since preschool. There was even a time when I'd say that I _studied_ him, so I could tell quite easily that he was _different_ with you than with any other girl. Mind you, if it'd been any of the girls at the academy, I'd have never considered it going anywhere, but since it's you…" She shrugged. "I think it'll work out as long as you can stand your ground, but you've _got_ to keep things between you entirely on the down low around anyone from our school or all of you guys' hopes for privacy in your relationship will all be blown to smithereens faster than you can tweet."

Mikan wasn't entirely sure what Sumire meant by that, but she smiled anyway, knowing that at least her friend approved of her romantic feelings for Natsume. Coming from Sumire (who greatly cared for and admired Natsume) that meant something to her. "Thanks, Permy!"

Just then, the three boys stepped out of the dressing room. They looked very suave in their matching suits. Natsume's was black with a white shirt and black tie, Ruka's was gray with a baby blue shirt and navy tie, and Koko's was crème with a brown shirt and green tie. Sumire eyed them critically before smiling with satisfaction.

"Perfect, boys! I'm going to change now, then we'll be all set to go."

Natsume caught Mikan's eye and smirked when she quickly looked away with a blush. He sauntered over to the seat next to her where he plopped down and teased her in a hushed tone, "Aren't you going to look at me, Polka Dots? Didn't you say that you wanted to see me all dressed up sometime? You're missing your chance."

Mikan resolutely turned to face him, staring intently at his face. "I saw you when you came out. You look very nice." Natsume didn't respond to her compliment. He merely continued to gaze into her eyes, waiting for her to break. After a minute, she flushed and looked away. "Darn you, Hyuuga Natsume!"

Natsume chuckled. Becoming more serious, he murmured so that only she could hear him, "Koko asked me about us."

At that, Mikan turned back to him with a smile. "Sumire asked me, too."

Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "Did you tell her?" When she grinned, he shook his head. "Of course you did. It doesn't really matter, I guess. I hadn't really planned on hiding it from those two anyway."

Mikan clicked her heels together a few times before whispering. "Hotaru and Permy both seem to think that a lot of girls at the academy are going to dislike me because I'm so close to you." She looked at him when she sensed him stiffen. She blinked at him curiously. "What?"

His eyes had taken on a dark, ominous shade. "They're right."

Mikan smiled encouragingly. "So? You've met Chiaki-chan. I'm no stranger to being picked on. I can handle it." When he continued to scowl, she frowned. "You don't actually think that I'd give you up because of some nasty fan girls? Hyuuga Natsume, you should know me better than that."

He sighed at her quiet, but fierce tone. He reached to take her hand. "I do. I'm just… concerned."

Mikan smirked, her amber eyes twinkling. "You worry too much. I'll be _fine._ _We'll_ be fine. Besides, school is still a whole week away, so let's just enjoy ourselves with our friends tonight and have fun being all dressed up together."

Natsume smirked back at her seductively. "Does that mean you'll actually look at me?"

Mikan blushed and averted her eyes again. "Maybe… probably… yes."

Natsume squeezed her hand. No matter what trials the future held for them, Mikan was right; tonight, they were just going to enjoy themselves together with friends and family.

The Starlight Lounge was waiting.


	19. The Starlight Lounge

Chapter 19: The Starlight Lounge

Monday, August 8th, 2016

Mikan blinked up at the tall building curiously. "This is the Starlight Lounge?"

Kaoru-san smiled knowingly as the driver shut the car door behind her. "It looks just like any other skyscraper, doesn't it? That's because the Starlight Lounge is actually on the top floor."

Mikan's jaw dropped. "The _top floor?"_ Her eyes widened as she craned her neck back in an effort to see the top of the tall building.

Beside her, Sumire rolled her eyes. She looked incredible in a short, strapless green dress made of layers of tulle and embossed with an intricate design of peacock feathers. Matching green stilettos accentuated her long legs. "Baka, what's the point of gaping at it from the _outside_ when you're about to go _inside_?"

Aoi giggled. "Today is Mikan-nee's first day _ever_ in a big city. She's been staring at _everything_."

Mikan's head continued to swivel back and forth as she took in every detail on the group's way inside the monolithic building, into a gilded elevator, and up to the highest floor. She couldn't contain her awestruck gasp at the sight that lay before her when the elevator doors finally opened.

The Starlight Lounge was unlike any restaurant that Mikan had ever seen. The high ceilings were painted midnight blue, out of which twinkled thousands of tiny lights resembling distant stars. Crystal chandeliers and wall sconces gave off a bright, festive glow, highlighted all the more by their reflections on the glossy marble floor. The vast room was encased in enormous windows on three sides, showing off an incredible view of the Tokyo skyline. The fourth side was occupied by a stage framed with deep red velvet curtains upon which a live band was playing American jazz music. A small dance floor separated the stage from the many tables, each surrounded by plush red chairs. Scattered around the dining room were round, raised platforms like small islands surrounded by intricately carved golden railings, giving the guests at those tables an elevated view. Off to the right sat a classy looking bar attended by several sharply dressed bartenders.

Mikan was so captivated by her surroundings that she didn't even hear Kaoru-san and Saki-san conversing with the maître d' and only barely felt Natsume lead her by the arm towards their table. She finally snapped out of her daze when they reached several steps leading up the side of one of the raised platforms. She gripped Natsume's arm tightly as she ascended the short staircase, conscious of the heels she was wearing. When they reached their table, she instinctively reached forward to pull out her chair, but blinked in confusion when Natsume smoothly pulled her arm back. She caught his eye as he very deliberately pulled her chair out for her. She noticed Ruka and Koko doing the same for the other girls while the maître d' attended to the two adults. She flushed at her brief lapse in etiquette, swallowing as she took her seat, trying her best to mimic the graceful way that her friends slowly lowered themselves into their chairs.

As soon as the maître d' had shared the evening's specials with them and left, Aoi grinned excitedly at her friend. "So what do you think, Mikan-nee? Isn't this place _spectacular?"_

Mikan grinned right back. "It sure is! I feel like I'm in the ballroom from _Beauty and the Beast_."

Across the table, Kaoru-san and Saki-san both smiled at her. "It really is a lovely restaurant. Please feel free to order anything you'd like, everyone. Tonight is our treat in celebration of Mikan-chan's move to Toyko and the big step you all are taking into high school," Hotaru's mother told them warmly.

"And another year of middle school for Aoi-chan," Kaoru-san added with a wink towards her daughter.

After offering their gratitude, the group began to review the menu. It wasn't long before Mikan's mouth was watering at all of the delectable options. "Goodness, I want one of everything!"

Koko laughed. "I know, they need a massive sampler platter or something. I would totally go for that, too, Mikan-chan."

Beside him, Sumire sniffed. "You'll both wind up fatter than Kobe cattle if you eat like that."

Aoi giggled. "Not if they only take _teeny-tiny_ bites of everything."

Natsume snorted. "When have you ever known Polka Dots to take tiny bites?" On his right, Mikan huffed and jostled him with her shoulder. He merely smirked, his eyes never leaving the menu.

When everyone had chosen their meal, a server instantly appeared as if summoned by magic to take their orders. After collecting the menus, the server left.

Hotaru rose from her chair with effortless grace. "I'm going to get a drink from the bar."

"I want one, too!" Aoi exclaimed, also standing. The rest of the young people joined the two girls, but since Kaoru-san and Saki-san had ordered a bottle of wine to share, they decided not to join them.

Mikan followed Ruka and Hotaru down the short flight of steps from their table. She smiled when Ruka offered Hotaru his arm before making their way towards the bar. She looked up when she felt a tug on her left wrist. Natsume had wrapped her arm around his, smirking down at her smugly as he walked beside her. She blushed, enjoying the closeness. He really was just too handsome in that suit.

With Sumire, Koko, and Aoi close behind them, they soon reached the bar. A bartender in a crisp black suit immediately approached them. "Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Here is our virgin cocktail list. I'll be happy to customize any drink to your liking. Please feel free to peruse the menu and order when you're ready."

Mikan accepted one of the proffered menus and thanked the bartender. After reading through several of the options, she moaned. "These all sound so good! How can I just choose one?"

Sumire quirked an eyebrow at her. "You said the same thing about the food menu. Don't be so indecisive. If they all look good, then you won't be disappointed no matter what you order."

"True," Mikan hummed thoughtfully. "Okay, I'll either get a Peach Perfect or a Blue Lotus. You pick for me, Permy."

Sumire twitched her nose at the nickname, but answered seriously, "Get the Peach Perfect. The blue raspberry syrup in the Blue Lotus will stain your mouth."

With a smile, Mikan ordered herself a Peach Perfect. When the bartender turned to look at Natsume, the teenage boy casually asked for a Fireball. Curiously, Mikan looked back down at the menu to see what it was. _Club soda infused with Red Hots, cherry syrup, cinnamon, and ginger,_ she read silently. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. That sounded exactly like the type of drink that Natsume would order.

"I dare you to try it," Natsume told her with an amused twinkle in his garnet eyes. He'd seen her reading the description in the menu after he'd ordered it.

Setting the menu down on the bar, Mikan replied, "Anything called a Fireball is something that I need to stay away from."

"I think you can take the heat." His tone was challenging as he offered her the short glass of red liquid served simply with large square ice cubes that the bartender had just handed him. She met his gaze for several seconds before giving in and taking a small sip. She licked her pink lips as she felt her cheeks get warm.

"That's pretty good, actually. You definitely get a lot of heat though." Next, she took a sip of her own drink, a combination of ice cold ginger ale, fresh peach puree, strawberry syrup, and just a hint of mint. It was fantastic and Mikan loved the pretty stemmed glass it was served in, garnished with a rich red strawberry artfully sliced into the shape of a rose bud. Once the others had received their drinks, they made their way back to their table.

Since it was a special occasion, the adults had ordered the most expensive appetizer on the menu for everyone to share. When the massive display of high quality seafood was placed in the center of the table, Mikan's eyes widened in awe. Fresh crab legs, sashimi, crab roe, cocktail shrimp, sushi, and all manner of cold bite-sized fish and shellfish delicacies were elegantly displayed on tiered crystal platters and trays, deep green leaves and bright tropical flowers adding to the richness of the presentation.

As everyone began serving themselves from the decadent arrangement, Mikan looked around her place setting uncertainly. A crimson cloth napkin was folded into the shape of a rose on her white china plate. She gently unfolded it and draped it across her lap. Next, she glanced around at the various golden utensils. She'd only ever seen so many utensils at a single place setting in movies and had no idea which ones to use for what. Leaning to her right, she whispered to Hotaru, "Which fork should I use?"

Without looking away from the crab roe that she was serving herself, Hotaru answered in a low voice, "If anything came with its own serving utensil, use it. Otherwise, serve yourself with the little prong above your plate. Use the topmost plate for appetizers, not the one on your left. You can eat with your chopsticks or the small fork farthest to the right." Mikan smiled gratefully before following Hotaru's instructions. _Who knew that fine dining could be so complicated?_

Conversation flowed easily as everyone enjoyed the appetizer. The live music served as a delightful background to their chit chat and laughter. When the first course had been cleared away, Koko stood from his seat and walked around the table to stand by Mikan's chair. With a flirtatious grin, he bowed as he offered her his hand. "May I have this dance, mademoiselle?"

With a grin of her own, Mikan replied, "Shouldn't you ask your girlfriend to dance first?"

"Sumire never dances during a meal," Koko answered smugly, proud of himself for knowing his girlfriend's preferences.

Sumire waved her hand as if to shoo them away from the table. "Please take him off my hands, Sakura. Honestly, you'll be doing me a favor."

Mikan laughed. "Then I accept!"

Koko gallantly led her down the steps from their table and across the dining room to the small dance floor, which was currently unoccupied. As the band began to play _In The Mood_ , a popular American jazz number from the 1930s, Mikan admitted, "Just so you know, I have no idea how to dance to this kind of music."

"Sure you do," Koko said as he slipped one hand into hers and placed the other on her back. "If you're moving, you're dancing. Just have fun!"

Mikan found Koko's spirited playfulness infectious. Following his lead, she swished and sashayed around the dance floor with him, laughing with delight when he occasionally spun her around to the lively big band music. Neither of them cared that what they were doing wasn't a proper dance or that the other patrons in the restaurant could see their every move and misstep. When the song came to a grand finale, Mikan squealed as Koko dipped her, holding the pose as the last notes faded.

Koko beamed as he pulled her upright. "You were great, Mikan-chan!"

Mikan laughed happily. "That was so much fun! Thank you, Koko!"

After glancing back at their table, Koko noted, "It looks like our food is being served."

"I need a breather after that dance anyway," Mikan replied with a smile, looping her arm through Koko's as he led her back to her seat.

"Mikan-nee, you two looked awesome out there!" Aoi complimented the moment the pair had returned.

Mikan grinned. "I was just having fun. Koko's a great partner!"

"You can have him any time. He has more energy than I can keep up with," Sumire tossed out casually before sipping her water.

Taking his seat next to her, Koko teased, "False! I save all of my slow dances for you."

Saki-san smiled from across the table as she complimented, "You two were very entertaining to watch."

Ruka turned to smile lovingly at Hotaru. "Would you share a dance with me after dinner?" She hummed noncommittally, causing him to grin with a twinkle in his eyes. With Hotaru, no rejection was likely a yes.

Dinner was every bit as delicious as the appetizer course. Although the group had ordered a variety of entrees, Natsume and Mikan had both chosen exotic sounding pasta dishes. Natsume's was a pappardelle with sea urchin and cauliflower while Mikan's featured paccheri pasta with lamb ragu and edible flowers. Halfway through the meal, without compunction, Natsume stabbed a mouthful of Mikan's food and took a bite. Without skipping a beat, Mikan promptly repeated the gesture with Natsume's plate. Her eyebrows rose as she chewed. "That's kind of spicy."

Beside her, Natsume smirked. "There's chili in it."

"It's not bad. I like the cauliflower." When Natsume grunted disagreeably, Mikan smirked mischievously. "You didn't like mine, did you?"

Natsume's expression remained bland. "I'm not a big fan of lamb."

Mikan laughed. "Then why did you taste it?"

Instead of answering, Natsume raised his water goblet to his lips and peered at her intently over the rim as he drank. It didn't take long for Mikan to guess the thought shining behind his garnet irises. _Because it was yours._ With a blush and a roll of her eyes, Mikan quickly turned her attention back to her food.

On Natsume's other side, Sumire and Koko had silently been observing the exchange in a mix of amusement and astonishment. Never in their lives had they seen Hyuuga Natsume eat off of a girl's plate and Mikan just kept right up with him. Maybe it was because they had both liked and respected Natsume for so long or because Mikan was so genuinely likeable, but something about seeing them together was just… _satisfying._

The group continued to enjoy light conversation between bites of food until the last dish had been cleared from the table. When their server inquired about dessert, Kaoru-san asked for some time to let their stomachs settle before ordering. Mikan took advantage of the lull in the meal to excuse herself to use the restroom.

As she made her way back, she saw that a finely dressed older gentleman was standing by their table conversing warmly with the group. A teenage boy a few years older than her stood beside him. When she got closer, she could see that the gray-haired gentleman was quite handsome despite being well advanced in years. He had a strong, square jaw line that was currently smiling amiably. Curiously, she paused on the top stair of the platform since the pair of guests were blocking the path back to her seat.

Seeing that Mikan had returned, Kaoru-san smiled broadly and made a gesture to draw their attention to her. "Kusunagi-sama, allow me to introduce a dear friend of our families, Sakura Mikan. She's staying at the Imai residence during the school year. Mikan-chan, this is Kusunagi Koji-sama, an esteemed business partner of HDI."

When the old man turned to look at her, Mikan could see twinkling green eyes peering at her from beneath silvery eyebrows. With a kind smile, the gentleman bowed his head to her and greeted, "Another fine young lady! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mikan immediately liked the friendly man. With a bow, she cheerfully replied, "Likewise, sir. It's an honor to meet an associate of the Hyuugas."

As if just remembering him, Kusunagi-sama waved a hand at the young man standing with him. "This is my nephew, Kenta-kun. Introduce yourself."

As the chestnut haired teenager bowed to her with an arrogant smirk, Mikan could see that he had the same green eyes as his uncle, though they noticeably lacked the same warmth. "Kimura Kenta. Pleasure." Mikan's stomach twisted uncomfortably when she noticed him glance at her chest from his position a step higher than her. Across the table, Natsume's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

Drawing her attention away from his nephew, Kusunagi-sama asked with a smile, "What does your family do, my dear?"

Mikan blinked. She understood what he was asking, she just wasn't used to being asked so straightforwardly. Brightly, she answered, "My parents are passed on, but my grandfather is the chief priest of our local Shinto shrine. I've served as a miko there most of my life."

"A miko?" Kimura-san raised his eyebrows. He seemed to observe her with new eyes at this revelation, his gaze holding an unpleasant shade of inquisitive interest.

Immediately, Kusunagi-sama's countenance became visibly excited. "Are you really now? I'm a devote practitioner myself. So many young people these days don't take the old traditions seriously. How lovely to see a young person staying in touch with their spirituality. I say, dear girl, would you come visit me at my home sometime? I would very much love to have you perform a ritual for me if you'd be willing."

His request surprised her, but after a quick glance showed that Kaoru-san was smiling encouragingly at her, she was happy to oblige. "Many of our sacred rituals can only be performed on temple grounds, but there are several that are meant for outside locations. I'd be happy to stop by sometime to be of service to you."

Kusunagi-sama beamed. "Lovely! I'll have my people set something up with you."

As his uncle turned his attention back to the other adults, Kimura-san suddenly offered Mikan his hand. "Dance with me, Sakura-san. It's the least I can do since you'll be doing my uncle a favor."

"Oh, okay," Mikan answered reflexively, caught off guard. Before she knew it, Kimura-san was sweeping her away towards the dance floor. Her friends silently watched her departure with raised eyebrows and a couple of slack jaws.

"Did he just…?" Ruka blinked in astonishment.

Sumire clicked her tongue. "Now there's a guy who's used to getting what he wants."

When they reached the dance floor, Kimura-san slid one hand around Mikan's waist and gripped one of her hands with the other. Uncertainly, she rested her free hand on his arm. The band was playing a softer jazz number now, obviously meant for slow dancing. Kimura-san held her a respectable distance apart as they swayed back and forth.

The older teenager took advantage of the slow pace to question her. "So what did your parents do before they passed away?"

"My father was a school teacher and my mother was a miko at the temple," Mikan answered honestly. She was trying to focus on her feet. She felt clumsy as Kimura-san tried to lead her in a very formal dance style with which she was completely unfamiliar.

"So what's your connection to the Imai family? Surely you must be special to be living with them." His tone sounded skeptical.

Mikan frowned, disliking his line of questioning. "Their family vacations in my hometown. I've known them all for years. Hotaru is my best friend."

"So you're really just an orphan who happens to be their summertime neighbor?" Kimura-san asked her bluntly, clearly astonished.

Mikan's eyebrows wrinkled in displeasure as she countered, "I'm not _just_ anything. I am who I am and there's nothing wrong with that."

Kimura-san smirked down at her. His gaze turned cunning as he drew their bodies closer together. "My apologies, Sakura-san. I didn't mean to offend you. You're quite right, there's nothing shameful about your background. In fact, I'm sure a pretty miko like you is _quite_ popular."

Mikan felt her cheeks flush red with embarrassment. She didn't completely understand his innuendo, but the way that he enunciated his last statement in a sickeningly sweet tone told her that somehow he was implying something inappropriate.

In an effort to divert the conversation, she asked him, "Do you attend Alice Academy, Kimura-san?"

"I just graduated," Kimura-san replied simply.

 _So he's probably 17,_ Mikan thought. She searched her brain for something else to talk about, but since she wasn't interested in getting to know him too well, she ended up staying silent. She averted her eyes, not enjoying the way that the older boy was observing her closely as they danced.

Back at the table, as the adults continued to converse separately from the young people, Mikan's friends observed the dancing pair from their elevated vantage point. Sumire snorted before whispering, "Really, they're both being so obvious that it hurts to watch."

"Huh?" Aoi asked innocently.

Sumire cocked an eyebrow as she explained, "Sakura is slouching her shoulders, tripping over her feet, and avoiding eye contact; she's _clearly_ uncomfortable."

Aoi continued watching the pair curiously. "And what's Kimura-san being obvious about?

From between Aoi and Sumire, Koko answered in an unusually subdued tone, "How much he's hoping that he gets to see her dressed as a miko."

Sumire clicked her tongue. "Exactly."

Aoi blinked in surprise. "Really?" She glanced across the table at her older brother and noted his stone-faced expression.

Sumire continued to nonchalantly observe the dancing pair as she answered. "He isn't good for much, but Koko is surprisingly good at telling what people are thinking, and this time, I'm sure he's spot on. You could see it all over Kimura-san's face the minute he heard about Sakura's role at the temple. Classic fantasy material for some guys," she explained with an air of disdain. Suddenly, she whirled towards Natsume. "Aren't you going to go rescue her from that creep or something? You're being about as useful as a rock right now for the girl you say you like." Hotaru smirked in amusement and Ruka had to choke back a laugh. It was rare for Sumire to scold Natsume like that.

Beside her, Natsume's jaw was clenched, his eyes never leaving the dance floor. "In case you haven't noticed, the exit is blocked at the moment."

He was right. Until Kusunagi-sama left, there was no way down from the raised platform without being rude to the older gentleman. Finally though it seemed as if his conversation with Kaoru-san and Saki-san had ended and the pleasant man exchanged farewells with the young people before descending the short staircase. Not a moment later, Natsume excused himself and crossed the dining room to the dance floor. The song had just ended. Mikan and Kimura-san were bowing to each other when without an ounce of hesitation, Natsume approached them and took her hand.

"The next one's mine."

Mikan's expression immediately changed from surprise to relief. She smiled as she watched him gaze steadily at Kimura-san, who slid his eyes back and forth between the pair. "Certainly. I'll take my leave then. I look forward to seeing you at my uncle's home, Sakura-san."

As the older boy walked away, Natsume drew Mikan in close, one hand in hers and the other around her waist. Mikan placed her free hand on his shoulder, smiling up at him as the band began to play another slow number, a sultry trumpet sending a soothing melody through the air.

"Did you come to rescue me?" she asked with a delighted twinkle in her amber eyes.

"Yes," Natsume answered bluntly.

Mikan laughed lightly. "Thank you. Kimura-san was… unpleasant." Natsume grunted softly in response.

Whether it was because she was so much more relaxed with Natsume or because he was a better lead than Kimura-san, Mikan had a much easier time matching his movements. His hands applied gentle pressure in the direction they were about to go just a moment before the actual step. "I didn't know you could dance," she teased after a moment.

"Of course I can dance. It's part of Alice Academy's physical education curriculum every year."

Mikan blinked in surprise. When a thought crossed her mind, she giggled. "So you've had to dance with a lot of girls like this, huh?" She grinned broadly when his expression darkened. "I can just imagine all of those fan girls I keep hearing about vying to be Hyuuga Natsume's partner in dance class." She began to laugh as the image of a highly pissed off Natsume surrounded by doting classmates filled her mind.

Natsume was clearly not amused by her teasing, so with a final giggle, she tried to appease him. "Okay, how about I save you from your fan girls in gym class this year since you just saved me from Kimura-san?"

"Deal," Natsume nodded as the song came to an end. He looked back at their table to see their friends watching them closely, so he offered her his arm and led her off the dance floor in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"Somewhere," he answered mysteriously.

To the left of the stage stood a golden elevator that Mikan hadn't noticed before. Natsume pressed the button and the doors opened. After entering the metal box, Mikan watched as the doors closed and the dining room disappeared from view. Natsume pressed another button before the elevator began to rise, coming to a stop a moment later. When the doors opened again, Mikan's breath caught in her throat.

They were on a rooftop terrace, which was currently empty save for the two of them. Small, bar-height cocktail tables were scattered about for people to stand at with their drinks. A railing ran all the way around the perimeter to keep anyone from falling off. The spectacular part though was the view. The elevator stood off to one side, allowing an uninterrupted view in any other direction.

Mikan practically ran in her heels to the railing where she could take it all in. She could see the vast city of Tokyo spread out all around them. To the east, she could see the darkening sky over Tokyo harbor just beginning to fill with stars. To the west, the sky was streaked with vibrant shades of gold, orange, pink, and purple as the sun sank below the distant horizon. All around them were skyscrapers and city buildings twinkling with lights in windows and lit up signs. It was truly breathtaking.

Mikan simply stood there soaking in the gorgeous cityscape. A light breeze caressed her bare shoulders before a pair of warm arms wrapped around her and she felt Natsume's solidness behind her. "What's the matter, Polka Dots? This is the quietest I think I've ever heard you," he teased.

"I'm speechless," she admitted, overwhelmed by her surroundings.

With a smirk that she couldn't see, Natsume asked her, "Now how are you going to say 'thank you' to me for bringing you up here if you're speechless?"

She didn't even have to think about it. She turned around in his arms, took hold of his black tie, slid her other hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him straight into a firm, deep kiss. Natsume hadn't expected such a bold action on her part and had to brace himself with his hands on the railing behind her. He recovered almost instantly, smirking into the kiss as he closed his eyes, relishing the thrill that shot through his heart. After adjusting his feet for better stability, he pressed one hand against her back, drawing her closer so that he could kiss her deeper. Mikan could feel the warmth of his palm as it pressed a firm line up her back before coming to rest on the nape of her neck. It was the first time they'd kissed since coming to Tokyo and the young pair found themselves savoring it. A strange sensation filled their chests, like surfacing for air after holding their breaths for too long— relief and longing, as if kissing each other was a feeling they'd subconsciously been missing.

Mikan was the first to break away from the kiss. Glittering amber met smoldering garnet as she smoothed his tie and with a cheeky smile said, "Thank you, Natsume."

"Hmm, I'm not convinced. You'll have to kiss me again," he teased, leaning towards her. She giggled as she twisted away, turning back to the dazzling view.

"That's quite enough of that for now!" she reprimanded, hiding her blush from him. She was too happy to completely separate herself from him though, so she pulled on his hands until his arms were once again wrapped snugly around her. She leaned her back against his chest, comfortable and content to enjoy the view as the sky continued to darken and fill with stars. Natsume was also enjoying himself too much to risk ruining the mood by pushing his luck with her, so he stayed silent as he held her close.

After awhile, Mikan sighed. "I can't believe I'm really here. This is really Tokyo and I really live here now."

Natsume cleared his throat before asking her seriously, "What do you think so far?"

Mikan swept her gaze once again across the twinkling cityscape as she replied, "I honestly think it's amazing… but different. I love the estate, especially that incredible backyard, and living with all of you is almost more wonderful than I can bear." She bit her lip lightly before admitting, "This restaurant is insanely fancy though. Don't get me wrong, I'm having a really good time, I just feel pretty out of place sitting in front of all of those unfamiliar utensils. The people here are different, too. I don't think I've ever met someone quite like Kimura-san." The very thought of him made her frown.

Natsume stiffened behind her. "What exactly was he saying to you while you danced?"

Mikan shrugged. "He was mostly asking me about my background and my connection to all of you. I got the distinct feeling that he was looking down on me." She wrinkled her nose. "Not that I care what he thinks about me, to be honest, but I think I can kind of see what Hotaru and Permy were talking about when they said that my new classmates might not like me very much, if Kimura-san's attitude is anything to go by."

Natsume felt a tick in his jaw at her words. "I've known Kusunagi-sama since I was small, but I'd never met his nephew until tonight. You should avoid him if you can."

Mikan turned sideways so that she could see his face. "Who exactly is Kusunagi-sama? Your mom called him a business associate."

"That's an understatement. Kusunagi-sama is the owner and founder of Japan's single largest commercial real estate company, which just happens to be HDI's biggest and most important client in the private sector. You've heard of the Mall of Tokyo?" When Mikan nodded, he continued, "He owns it and dozens of other significant commercial locations. He's one of the wealthiest people in the country, highly respected and highly influential. His importance to HDI can't be overstated."

Mikan's eyebrows rose. "That sweet old man is someone so important?"

Natsume nodded. "He's a very likeable person, but you can't underestimate him as a business man."

Just then, Natsume's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and quickly scanned the message on the screen. "Okaa-san says we need to come down now if we want to order dessert."

Mikan's face lit up excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes! I definitely want to get dessert while we're here."

Natsume chuckled. "Of course you do."

When they made it back to their table, everyone was perusing the dessert menu. Koko grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as they took their seats. "Did you two have fun up there?"

Natsume completely ignored his friend, but Mikan smiled broadly. "It was amazing! The view up there is beyond gorgeous."

Aoi grinned. "I wanted to go up there, too, but Hotaru-nee said that we should give you guys some privacy."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow at the stoic girl on Mikan's other side, mildly surprised. Hotaru steadily met his gaze. "You owe me." Natsume rolled his eyes. Of course her assistance would come at a cost. Mikan hid her blush by ducking her head to start reading the dessert menu.

After agonizing over the decision, Mikan finally settled on a white chocolate blueberry cheesecake. Once they'd all placed their orders, Kaoru-san turned to her with a cheerful smile. "Did Natsume-kun fill you in on who Kusunagi-sama is to us, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan nodded. "He's basically HDI's most important client besides the Japanese government, right?"

Kaoru-san nodded. "That's right. His company is called Lotus Prime and HDI is its sole security provider. It's an enormous contract that's incredibly valuable to our business." She took a sip of her wine before continuing, "That being said, he's also a very influential individual in other circles besides HDI. He's a very good person to have as an ally, and as it so happens, he's very sentimental, loves young people, and is very passionate about his Shinto faith." She sounded pleased as she concluded encouragingly, "It's a stroke of good fortune that you got to meet him tonight and even received a private invitation to visit his home. He's someone I'm certain you'd enjoy being friends with."

Mikan smiled brightly. "Other than being so powerful and wealthy, he sounds like a lot of the older men back home in Makikawa. Jii-chan says that the presence of young people is invigorating for old souls. I'd be happy to go visit Kusunagi-sama sometime."

As Kaoru-san turned her attention to Saki-san, Mikan asked Hotaru, "Have you and Ruka-pyon gotten to dance yet?"

Hotaru nodded silently before sipping what appeared to be a fresh refill of her Tropical Sunset from the bar. Beside her, Ruka grinned. "You missed it, Mikan-chan. Hotaru and I danced while you and Natsume were on the roof. Koko and Shouda-san did, too."

"Then Ruka-nii danced with me," Aoi piped up impishly. She winked cutely at Mikan. "He's even more of a Prince Charming as a dance partner."

Mikan laughed happily. "Of course he is!"

They continued to chatter until their desserts arrived. Mikan stared quizzically at the plate that was set before her. "Is this cheesecake?"

Sumire arched an eyebrow as she dipped a tiny golden spoon into a fluted glass of bright pink mousse. "Don't tell me that you were expecting a triangular slice? This place is way too classy for something that normal."

Mikan slowly picked up her dessert fork and took a bite out of a smooth blue mound in the middle of her plate. The taste was phenomenal, clearly a white chocolate cheesecake center surrounded by a blueberry dome. The dish was fantastically garnished with tiny cubes of blueberry gelatin, white chocolate mousse drops, graham cracker dust, lavender sponge, edible flowers, and even a slender scoop of what tasted like white chocolate blueberry ice cream. Mikan had never seen anything like it and was immediately in love.

Across the table, Koko laughed at the expression of delight on her face as she ate. "You look like you're in heaven, Mikan-chan."

Mikan smacked her lips as she finished another bite. "I _am_ in heaven! It's like there's a whole world of desserts that I never even knew existed."

Saki-san chuckled. "They are quite nice, aren't they? I have a sweet tooth just like you, Mikan-chan. I'll make sure to take you to all the best dessert spots in town while you're here."

Mikan beamed at Hotaru's mother. "Thank you, Saki-san!" She blinked when Natsume's fork suddenly appeared before her, taking a bite out of her cheesecake just as he had done to her pasta earlier. "You'd better be planning to let me try yours to pay me back for that."

Natsume merely smirked at her as he chewed his bite of her dessert. Mikan reached over to steal a bite from his plate and lifted the fork to eye level to study it. "What is this?"

"Raspberry pomegranate mousse cake with vanilla ice cream."

"That sounds like something you'd like," she said, referring to his love of sharp flavors like raspberry. Her lips pursed as she ate her forkful of the cake and quickly took a bite of the vanilla ice cream to tone down the intense flavor. She hummed as she swallowed. "That's really good when you eat it all together."

Mikan's ears perked up when she heard Aoi ask Sumire and Koko, "You guys will be at our house for our end of summer pool party on Friday, right?"

Sumire nodded as Koko declared, "Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Beaming, Aoi turned to her mother. "Okaa-san, can we make the party a sleepover this year since Mikan-nee is here? That would make it more special!" After conferring with Saki-san, Kaoru-san agreed. Aoi squealed excitedly as she turned to Mikan. "This is going to be so much fun! Nobara-chan and Yo-chan will be there, too, Mikan-nee."

Mikan grinned. "That sounds awesome! I can't wait!"

"Wakako is coming, too," Sumire added.

"So are Kitsu and Mochu," Koko contributed.

"You guys will have to remind me who all of these people are," Mikan admitted a bit sheepishly. She'd heard all of their names over the years, but hadn't met them.

"Usami Wakako is my best friend. Usami Mochiage (or Mochu for short) is her twin brother. Akeshi Kitsuneme is Koko's best friend. We call him Kitsu," Sumire explained succinctly.

"Kitsu and Mochu are both on the soccer team with Koko, Natsume, and I," Ruka added.

Just then, the maître d' appeared at their table. "Was everything to your liking this evening?"

"Very much, thank you," Saki-san answered pleasantly. The others nodded their agreement.

"Excellent! I'll have your server bring you the check. We're grateful to have hosted you tonight and we hope that you'll join us again soon." With a final bow, the maître d' left.

Kaoru-san set her napkin back on the table as she addressed the young people. "Why don't you all use the restroom before we leave? It's a bit of a drive back home from here."

By the time the group emerged from the restrooms a short while later, Kaoru-san and Saki-san had already taken care of the bill and were waiting for them by the entrance. As Mikan headed towards them escorted arm-in-arm by Natsume, she glanced across the room to see Kimura Kenta standing by the bar and watching her intently. For some reason, his gaze unnerved her and she quickly looked away, reflexively squeezing Natsume's arm tightly.

Natsume felt her tense beside him. He swept his gaze around the room, subtly searching for the source of her sudden discomfort. His eyes narrowed minutely when he found it. Kimura-san caught his gaze and smirked arrogantly before the group disappeared into the elevator, leaving the enchanting world of the Starlight Lounge behind.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So here it is, my first update in forever. I hope you liked it. My pregnancy was really rough and my delivery and recovery were even rougher, but my baby girl and I are now healthy, so I'm grateful. Dealing with a toddler and a newborn is insane though, so I won't be able to do regular updates the way that I did when I first published this story. Rest assured though, I really love _This Is High School_ and will continue posting until it ends someday, even if it's years from now.


	20. Down The Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:** I went back through the story and changed Natsume and Ruka's lacrosse team to a soccer team (for my international readers, soccer is the American term for football). I initially chose lacrosse for the sake of doing something different since I feel like soccer is overused in this type of fanfiction, but honestly, I know nothing about lacrosse and was planning on basing my writing entirely on research, which has proven to be too complicated. I played soccer for many years as a child / teenager, so it should be easier to write about in a way that sounds natural.

A MILLION THANK YOU'S to all of the readers who reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry that life has gotten too busy for me to reply to each of you the way that I used to, but please know that hearing your thoughts (especially specific scenes or aspects of the story that you really enjoyed) is enormously encouraging and brings me a lot of joy.

Chapter 20: Down The Rabbit Hole

Monday, August 8th, 2016

Mikan threw her long, damp hair up in a messy bun before glancing at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Although dressing up for dinner had been a lot of fun, she felt refreshed after a warm shower and slipping into a comfy pair of pink pajama shorts with a matching top emblazoned with the phrase "always be kinder than you feel" in gold letters. She grinned down at her pretty pink fingernails and toenails before grabbing her phone from the counter and walking through the doorway into her bedroom.

Flopping down onto her silky golden bedspread, Mikan clicked her phone on. The lock screen showed that it was only 8:54 p.m. She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. It felt too early to go to sleep and she wasn't tired enough yet anyway.

She tried calling her grandfather, but was greeted by his new cell phone's voicemail. Rolling off her bed, she went to see if Hotaru wanted to watch a movie or something. She raised her fist to knock on her best friend's bedroom door, but stopped when she heard the metallic sound of tinkering coming from the lab behind her. Not wanting to disturb Hotaru while she was working on something, Mikan returned to her bedroom. Her eyes wandered around the luxurious space, searching for inspiration to alleviate her restlessness. When her eyes landed on the large window, she smiled.

As she approached the window bench, Mikan pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and quickly typed out a message. After opening the window, she took a seat and waited, her feet bouncing up and down in anticipation. A moment later, her phone rang as the window directly across from hers opened and Natsume's amused face appeared. Mikan quickly answered his call.

"Hello?"

"It's not even 9 o'clock, Polka Dots; of course I'm still up."

She grinned. "Are you busy?"

Natsume shrugged. "Not really."

"Then would you like to watch a movie with me?"

Natsume's response was immediate. "Sure, but let's watch it in my room."

Without hesitation, Mikan answered, "Deal!"

Five minutes later, she was knocking on Natsume's bedroom door. When he let her in, she saw that he was wearing a simple pair of black pajamas. The sleeveless top showed off his toned arms and she blushed when she caught herself thinking once again about how attracted she was to her friend. She quickly darted past him to plop down on his couch. His Xbox was already turned on with a movie app pulled up on the big screen TV. "What do you want to watch?" she asked happily.

Taking a seat beside her, Natsume picked up the controller and began scrolling aimlessly through the options. "Whatever you want is fine."

Mikan smiled. "Okay, then let's check out the new releases section to see if anything looks good." After a few minutes of browsing, she squealed excitedly, "Let's watch _Zootopia!_ I love Disney and I haven't seen that one yet."

After starting the movie, Natsume walked over to his nightstand to turn on a lamp, then over to his desk to turn on another one before flicking the switch by his door to turn off the ceiling light. When he sat back down, he pulled Mikan against his side where she snuggled comfortably. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since they got home from dinner, so it was a pleasant surprise to get to spend this extra time with her. Since they'd spent most of the evening with their friends and family, he was looking forward to being alone with her for awhile.

Mikan was her usual animated self as the story began to unfold. For his part, Natsume watched the film in amusement, content to relax with his crush. On the TV screen, a female bunny dressed as a police officer was smirking at a male fox with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

" _I mean, I am just a dumb bunny, but we are good at multiplying."_

Mikan looked up at Natsume questioningly when he snorted in amusement at the character's line. "What?"

Natsume smirked. "Did you get that reference, Polka Dots?"

"Of course I did! She's saying that she's smarter than he gives her credit for."

Natsume chuckled. "You just keep thinking that, Polka Dots." _Kami, her naivety is so cute._

Not understanding what he was talking about, Mikan turned her attention back to the movie. After awhile, she laughed. "Nick is such a jerk! He reminds me of you, Natsume."

Natsume grunted. "Thanks a lot."

Mikan giggled. "Oh, Natsume, I didn't mean it like that. He's just got that same cocky attitude as you, like he knows everything and nobody can even compete with him."

Natsume smirked. "Why deny the truth?" He grabbed her wrist when she playfully swung her fist as if to hit him. "Judy reminds me of you, too— short, cute, and ridiculously optimistic."

"Hey!" Mikan whined teasingly at his light insults. A second later, she grinned as she asked, "Wait, you think I'm cute?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Of course I think you're cute. Were you even listening when I was complimenting you this afternoon? What a waste of breath."

Mikan laughed delightedly. "I was listening, but I was all dressed up then. It's different that you still think I'm cute when I'm just wearing pajamas and no makeup."

Before Natsume could reply, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Natsume clicked the pause button before calling, "Come in." Mikan smiled when the door opened to reveal his mother.

"I thought that was Mikan-chan's laugh I heard!" Kaoru-san exclaimed as she walked into the room. With a grin and a twinkle in her scarlet eyes, she added, "You two look awfully comfortable."

Mikan blushed. Without meeting Natsume's eyes, she muttered, "I'm going to use the bathroom while the movie's paused."

Once Mikan had shut Natsume's bathroom door behind her, Kaoru-san smiled conspiratorially at her son and asked in a quiet voice, "So how are things going between you two? You seemed to really hit it off at dinner tonight."

Natsume's expression was content as he nodded. "We're good. We're taking things slow, but we're definitely getting closer."

Kaoru-san smiled warmly. "That's great, sweetheart. Have you given any thought to asking her to be your girlfriend?"

Natsume shook his head solemnly. "To be honest, if things were different, I would have asked her already, but with things being the way they are, I definitely want to wait to take that step. Everything here is so new to her and she deserves the chance to get used to life here without the added pressure of being in an official relationship. If she ends up not being happy here, I don't want her to feel like she can't go home because of me." Although he meant every word, his heart constricted at the thought.

Kaoru-san reached to ruffle her son's hair affectionately. "My goodness, my little baby boy is so grown up and mature. Being responsible and considerate is good, but I hope that you let yourself enjoy the journey as well. I love you both very much and I want to see you both happy, whatever that ends up looking like for each of you." She raised an eyebrow as she continued, "Speaking of your maturity, I'm trusting you two in here alone, so I expect you to treat Mikan-chan with respect at all times. She's a modest girl, so I'm not too concerned, but don't think that I haven't heard her call you a pervert at least a thousand times over the years." Although her tone was teasing, her steady gaze told him that she was serious.

Natsume nodded. "I will. Thanks, Okaa-san."

As Kaoru-san turned to leave, she added, "Make sure that Mikan-chan makes it back to her bedroom tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," Natsume answered before his mother closed the door behind her. A minute later, Mikan reappeared from the bathroom.

"Eh, Kaoru-san is gone already?"

Natsume nodded. "She was just saying goodnight."

Mikan smiled. "That's sweet." When she moved to sit down, Natsume suddenly swung his legs up onto the couch and smirked devilishly at her. Mikan quirked an eyebrow at him before turning away with a dramatic sigh. "Okay, I guess I'll have to sit in one of these chairs all by my lonesome."

Immediately, Natsume sat up and snatched her around the waist. She squealed as he pulled her down to lay on the couch alongside him. She huffed playfully, pretending to be offended, but snuggled down comfortably with his arms around her to continue watching the movie. She felt her cheeks heat up and a delightful fluttering sensation fill her stomach when Natsume entangled their bare legs before clicking the play button on his Xbox controller.

They continued to cuddle until the movie finally ended. Mikan was still laughing at the final scene as the credits began to play. She rolled over to grin at Natsume. "Okay, I totally ship those two now. Nick and Judy are relationship goals."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow. "You want to base your romantic relationships off of a fox and a rabbit?"

Mikan's grin turned cheeky. "I'm interested in you, aren't I? The fox could totally be your spirit animal."

Natsume grunted. "I've always thought of myself as more of a cat."

Mikan smiled as she mused, "Yeah, I can see that. Cats are pretty arrogant and uninterested in people most of the time, but can be friendly to people they know and like. You're pretty agile like a cat, too."

Natsume quirked an eyebrow as he replied sarcastically, "Now that's a flattering description." Mikan giggled, her amber eyes twinkling with amusement. He smirked affectionately as he reached to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. His garnet eyes noted the flush that filled her cheeks at his touch. Quickly, she buried her face in his shoulder. "What's up, Polka Dots?"

"Nothing" came her muffled answer. Curious and amused, Natsume firmly pushed her shoulder back down onto the couch so that she would be forced to show him her face. "You can't lie worth a damn, Polka Dots, so you might as well spill. What were you thinking about just now?"

He was even more curious when she bit her lip hesitantly, her blush darkening even more. Her eyes searched his face for a moment before she finally spoke. "I was just thinking about how much I like you. Honestly, it catches me off guard sometimes." She reached a hand up to brush his jet black locks back. "Two months ago, we were just friends; we'd never said anything about liking each other as something more, we'd never kissed or gone on a date or anything. I guess it just surprises me that things could change between us so quickly."

Quirking an eyebrow, Natsume responded, "Quickly? I think we've been taking things pretty slow."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "We _are_ taking things slow and I'm grateful for that because if I can feel this way about you while taking it slow, I can't imagine how I'd feel if things were moving faster. I don't want to let things get out of control and then regret it." She looked him straight in the eyes to say, "I really like you, Natsume, and that makes me happy. _Liking you_ makes me happy." Her smile was genuine as she added, "Even if you don't feel the same way about me, I'm happy that I like you."

 _If I don't feel the same way…?_ Natsume's eyebrows drew together in a light frown. Clearly, she had no idea just how deep his feelings for her ran. As his thoughts began to race, he shifted his position beside her, his hand moving to her waist with the intention of drawing her into a hug. Unexpectedly, Mikan squealed sharply and tensed like a rabbit poised to run. His fingers had brushed a patch of bare skin under the hem of her pajama shirt. Distracted, Natsume raised an eyebrow as his lips curled into a devious smirk. "Are you ticklish there, Polka Dots?"

Mikan stared at him wide-eyed. "Natsume, NO! Don't even think about— NATSUME! NO! STOP! AHAHAHA—!" Mikan shrieked with uncontrollable laughter as Natsume tickled her mercilessly. She tried desperately to catch his hands, but to no avail. Soon she was panting and gasping for breath. "Natsume! HAHAHA! _Please!_ AHAHAHA! I can't— HAHAHA— _breathe!"_

Deciding that Mikan had had enough, Natsume propped his head up on his hand and watched silently as she caught her breath. "You're so mean!" she exclaimed as she whacked his chest, smiling despite herself. Her cheeks were pink from all of the laughter and her eyes shone brightly as she gazed up at him. She really was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. His thoughts returned to their conversation and he felt his heart warm and ache again in that way that was becoming more and more familiar when he was with her.

"Mikan…"

Her smile immediately brightened at her real name. "Hm?"

Natsume swallowed. "I…" Mikan blinked up at him silently, waiting patiently as he struggled to choose his words. _I really like you and that makes me happy…_ It sounded so natural coming from her, but in his head, the same words sounded phony and forced. He still wasn't used to talking openly about his emotions. Nevertheless, he somehow wanted her to know how important she was to him, how much he cared about her. Her feelings weren't one-sided and he wanted her to know that. She was one of his best friends and now she was special to him in a way that no one had ever been special to him before. She wasn't his girlfriend yet, but that was due to various circumstances and not because he lacked the right depth of feelings for her. How could he express all of that to her without feeling like a love-struck idiot baring his soul like the lead character in a cheesy, corny romantic drama?

"I… you… about you…"

Seeing his struggle and understanding it, Mikan interrupted softly, "Natsume..." She smiled as she entwined their fingers. She tended to be most affectionate when she was feeling happiest, and right now, after their wonderful evening at the Starlight Lounge and relaxing night together in his room, she was very happy indeed. She gazed warmly into his mesmerizing garnet eyes and whispered, "Kiss me."

Natsume's heart skipped a beat. His lips twitched, resisting the urge to smile. He didn't need to be asked twice.

He squeezed her hands in his as he leaned down, watching as her eyes closed trustingly before his lips even touched hers. She tasted warm and familiar and comforting and kami help him if he didn't feel like he could keep kissing her forever. He was 14; every kiss and every touch was still a new, thrilling experience. Mikan was right, it was so easy for their feelings to run away with them. He felt like he was back on the rooftop of the Starlight Lounge, being swept away as they kissed, his hand on the bare skin of her neck above that flouncy little strapless dress she'd been wearing…

Natsume pulled away breathlessly, his heart hammering in his chest. Mikan's eyelids fluttered open before she smiled. "Had enough?" she asked teasingly.

Natsume braced himself against the desire raging inside him, his smoldering garnet eyes betraying him as he answered her honestly. "Don't tempt me, Polka Dots. I may be a pervert, but I still have _some_ self control."

Mikan giggled. "Glad to hear it." Swinging her legs off the couch, she sat up and stretched. "It's getting late. I should go to bed."

Natsume sat up beside her, begrudgingly grateful for the break from temptation. "I'll walk you to your room."

Mikan grinned as he escorted her out his bedroom door. "Afraid that I'll get lost in the backyard?"

"No, but knowing you, maybe I should. Okaa-san asked me to make sure you got back to your room okay." Natsume slipped his hand into hers as they walked. "I thought that she just wanted me to be a gentleman or something, but now I'm wondering if maybe she thought that I'd try to talk you into spending the night in my room."

Mikan guffawed at the idea. "Yeah, _right!_ Sleeping together on the couch in the TV room is one thing, but there's _no_ _way_ I'm sleeping with you in an actual bed in an actual bedroom, _pervert."_

Natsume smirked. "Not yet."

Mikan's jaw dropped. She smacked his shoulder as she vehemently growled, " _PERRRRVERT!_ You. Are. A. _PERRRRVERT!"_

Natsume chuckled. Kami, he loved teasing her. Mikan huffed, her cheeks flushed a darker shade of pink than her pajamas as they continued on in silence. Only when they'd reached her bedroom door did she meet his eyes again. "Goodnight, Natsume."

"Goodnight, Polka Dots." Hoping to earn some brownie points back after his earlier comment, he leaned forward to place a light kiss on her cheek. After a final squeeze, he released her hand and turned to walk back down the long hallway. Mikan watched him go until with a soft smile and a gentle sigh she stepped through the door and closed it behind her.

* * *

Tuesday was a relaxing day for the youngest members of the Hyuuga and Imai households. After their full day out on Monday, they opted to relax at home, enjoying their usual summertime activities, knowing that there would be fewer chances to do so once school started. Kaoru-san had gone to HDI with Hatsuharu-san that morning and Saki-san was meeting some friends for lunch, so the teenagers were on their own to hang out under the supervision of the household staff.

When Mikan made it back to her room after an afternoon swim, she discovered a group of maids unpacking at least a dozen boxes labeled with the Eternal Sakura logo into her massive walk-in closet. As it turned out, the "small wardrobe" that Sumire had mentioned sending to the Imai mansion for Mikan had been delivered. Although she cringed at the very thought of how much money that many designer clothes must have cost, Mikan chose not to think about it and instead headed into her bathroom to take a shower, leaving the maids to organize and arrange the new clothes and accessories on her closet's racks, drawers, and shelves.

As she sat around the dinner table with Tohru-san, Saki-san, and Hotaru that night, Mikan learned that Kaoru-san would be escorting her to the school for her appointment the next day. "I have some business to attend to elsewhere, so Kaoru-san will accompany you to meet the high school principal and get your campus tour. She and Hatsuharu-san have the same level of legal guardianship over you as Tohru-san and I do while you're here in Tokyo, so she'll be able to handle anything on your grandfather's behalf that may come up while you're there," Saki-san explained.

Mikan smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Saki-san! Um, what should I wear tomorrow? Should I wear my school uniform?"

Saki-san smiled. "No, I don't think that's necessary. Something casual, but nice (like a sundress) would be good since you'll be meeting with the principal and possibly some of your new teachers."

Mikan grinned. "Okay! I'm sure I'll find something suitable in all of those new clothes Sumire sent me." Turning to Hotaru, she asked brightly. "Will you be coming, too, Hotaru?"

Hotaru's focus never left her plate as she replied, "I have no interest in visiting the school before classes start on Monday."

"But it's my first time ever visiting Alice Academy," Mikan whined piteously. "Pleeeeeease…"

Unsurprisingly, Hotaru didn't budge. As they sat around the fire pit on the Hyuuga's enormous covered patio that night, Mikan asked Aoi, Natsume, and Ruka if any of them would be accompanying her to the school the next day.

"I can't, Mikan-nee. I'm hanging out with Nobara-chan and Yo-chan tomorrow," Aoi said apologetically.

Natsume grunted. "I wouldn't go with you even if I wasn't going to HDI with Otou-san. The last thing you need is to be seen at school with me before the year even starts."

Ruka smiled. "My parents are coming home tomorrow to see me before the school year starts, so I'll be staying at our place in the city the next two nights. Don't worry, Mikan-chan, I'm sure your first visit will be great. There are hardly any students on campus before the first day, so you should just enjoy the chance to see everything."

"Okay," Mikan sighed. She continued to pout for a second, then suddenly stood up and placed one fist on her hip and the other over her heart. "It's fine! It's just a new school. People change schools all the time. I can do anything I put my mind to. It'll be an adventure! No problem! I've got this!"

Aoi grinned. "Yeah, Mikan-nee, it'll be a walk in the park."

Hotaru caught Natsume's eye as she muttered, "Yeah, _Jurassic_ Park."

The next morning, Mikan was up with the sun to shower and prepare for the exciting morning ahead. Taking Saki-san's advice, she chose a simple white sundress covered in soft pink roses with fresh green leaves. The thin straps left most of her shoulders bare, perfect for the warm day ahead. The gentle sweetheart neckline was modest, as was the hemline that softly brushed her thighs just above her knees. After tying her long hair out of her face with her signature white ribbon and slipping into a pair of white flats, Mikan donned her mother's pearl earrings and Natsume's ring before twirling around in front of her floor length mirror. Declaring herself ready, she grabbed her phone and headed next door to the Hyuuga's kitchen. Since she had a little extra time on her hands, she wanted to visit with Futaka-san before breakfast.

"Good morning, Futaka-san!" Mikan chirped cheerfully as she skipped into the large, bright kitchen.

The motherly chef turned to the teenage girl with a broad smile. "Good morning, Mikan-sama! My, don't you look lovely this morning. Where are you off to today?"

Mikan smiled as she slipped onto a barstool next to a massive island. "I'm visiting Alice Academy for the first time this morning. Kaoru-san is taking me. I'll get to meet the principal, tour the campus, and find out my class schedule while I'm there."

"Well, that's exciting!" Futaka-san exclaimed as she continued to bustle about the kitchen.

"Can I help with anything?" Mikan asked considerately. "I'm so used to cooking for Jii-chan and I all the time that I kind of miss it."

Futaka-san grinned. "Of course, dear! You're always welcome in my kitchen. Why don't you peel and slice those apples for me, sweetheart? That would be a big help. Breakfast will be ready soon, so I'll be sure to fix you a portion."

"Thank you!" Mikan accepted the offer gratefully. The pair continued to chitchat as they worked. About ten minutes later, the kitchen door swung open. Mikan grinned. "Good morning, Natsume!"

"Good morning, Natsume-sama. Breakfast will be ready shortly if you'd like some."

"Thank you, Futaka-san," Natsume answered as he approached Mikan. He hadn't expected to walk into his kitchen to see his exceptionally pretty crush casually chopping apples. "What are you doing here so early, Polka Dots?"

Mikan smiled. "I'm leaving with your mother in a little bit, so I'm here to help Futaka-san with breakfast."

Natsume smirked. "Just make sure we don't end up with any fingers mixed in with the apples," he teased.

"Oi!" Mikan rebuffed him playfully.

A short while later, the two teens joined Hatsuharu-san, Kaoru-san, and Aoi in the family dining room for breakfast. They chatted as they ate, discussing their plans for the day and what new things were happening at HDI. Apparently, Natsume would be going there with his father that morning to register for the next phase of his training. Mikan's head spun as she tried to think of how he would balance school, soccer, and HDI training all at the same time.

After breakfast, Mikan waved goodbye to Hatsuharu-san, Natsume, and Aoi as they stepped into one of the Hyuuga family's cars; they would drop Aoi off at her best friend Nobara's house on their way to HDI. Ikeda-san held the door to a second car open for Mikan and Kaoru-san. As he drove them the short distance to the school, Kaoru-san asked brightly, "Are you excited to finally see your new school, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan smiled. "Definitely! I'm a bit nervous, too, though."

Kaoru-san smiled warmly. "I understand. This will be your first time being the new kid. Thankfully, you'll already have a group of friends there with you, so you won't be alone. Just be your bold and beautiful self, and I know you'll do great."

Kaoru-san's scarlet eyes gazed steadily at the teenage girl as her tone became more serious. "Before I forget, I have a strange, but important request to make of you." Mikan perked up in her seat, curious to hear what Kaoru-san wanted to ask of her. "All these years, we've worked hard to keep the location of our vacation home a secret. For various reasons, we were concerned that if it became common knowledge, people might start looking to build their own vacation homes in Makikawa and effectively invade our small summer haven. I know it might be difficult for you, but if you could do your best to not tell anyone where you're from, we'd like to continue to maintain our privacy during the summers."

This really did surprise Mikan, but as she thought about it, it actually made a lot of sense. From what she'd heard of Natsume's fan girls, she wouldn't be surprised if some of them would have tried to vacation in Makikawa, too, just for the chance to be close to him. The Hyuugas and Imais were also very wealthy, powerful families, so who knew what kind of unwanted neighbors they might get if they weren't careful with the information about their summer whereabouts?

"I'll try, Kaoru-san. I can just say that I'm from a rural valley in Southern Japan."

Kaoru-san grinned. "That sounds vague enough to me, Mikan-chan. Thank you."

Curiously, Mikan asked, "What about Koko and Sumire? They've both visited the vacation house multiple times."

"They were asked to keep the location a secret as well. We haven't had any problems, so I'm confident that they've both kept their word."

Just then, the car pulled into the wide turnaround in front of the enormous wrought iron gates of Alice Academy. Unlike the first time Mikan had seen them, today the gates stood open wide to allow visitors to pass through. The imposing entrance to her new school sent a flurry of butterflies whirling about in her stomach. This was it, her first visit to the elite campus that her best friends had been attending for years.

Ikeda-san held the door open as Mikan climbed out of the car. When Kaoru-san stepped out onto the sidewalk beside her, she gave the teenage girl's shoulders a tight squeeze. "Don't be nervous, sweetheart! High school is what you make of it and I think you'll love it here. Saki and I had a great time when we were students."

Mikan smiled as she followed Natsume and Aoi's mother down a wide path that stretched straight from the main gate towards the heart of the vast campus. "I'm only a little bit nervous. I'm mostly excited to be going to school with everyone! I never dreamed that I'd get the chance to do that." She could hear the repetitive click of Kaoru-san's crimson heels as they walked side-by-side. Mikan thought she looked classy and powerful in a dark navy pencil skirt and matching sleeveless blouse splashed with crimson roses. Her heels and handbag were the exact same shade of crimson as the roses on her blouse. To Mikan, Kaoru-san looked like she could take on the world as her long legs took easy, confident strides beside her.

Mikan looked about curiously as they walked. The landscaping was very tasteful. Well manicured lawns swept across the campus like green waves, primly trimmed bushes lined the pathways, and fresh blossoms adorned the flowerbeds in front of the various buildings. Black lamp posts ensured that the walkways would be clearly visible at night. In the distance, Mikan could see thick swaths of trees almost like small forests obscuring her view of the far reaches of the campus grounds.

It didn't take long for the pair to reach an enormous building made of cream colored bricks. A glance at the plaque outside the row of double doors told Mikan that this was Alice Academy's Administrative Building. Once inside, Kaoru-san walked straight up to a large circular counter in the middle of the lobby where a receptionist greeted them respectfully.

"Good morning, honored guests. How may I help you?"

"We're here for an appointment for a new student, Sakura Mikan, please," Kaoru-san answered.

After checking her computer screen, the receptionist smiled. "Of course. Welcome to Alice Academy, Sakura-san. The 1st Year Faculty Advisor, Anju Narumi, will see you first. His office is on the second floor, room 204. Elevators are available beyond the stairs," she informed them, gesturing down the hall.

"Thank you," Mikan answered with a bright smile.

As they crossed the lobby, Mikan could hear the receptionist behind them speak into her phone. "Narumi-sensei, your first appointment is here."

Kaoru-san leaned towards her to speak softly as they headed upstairs. "You know Saki, Hatsuharu, and I went to school here at the same time as Narumi-sensei."

"Really?" Mikan answered with a grin. It was neat to think of the adults in her life being young high school students, now all grown up and still friends with their old classmates. "What about Tohru-san?"

"He's a few years older than us, so he'd already graduated by the time we reached high school. Anyway, Narumi-sensei has a very fun, flamboyant personality. I think you'll really like him."

When they reached the right office, Kaoru-san gave the door's frosted glass windowpane a quick tap. Immediately, the door was thrown open wide as a jolly voice filled the hall.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun!"

Mikan couldn't help giggling at the teacher, who was currently offering her a yellow rose blossom as he bowed in a rather dramatic fashion. A winning smile light up his handsome face, which was framed by wavy blonde hair. A pair of lilac eyes shone warmly at her under the brim of a fancy purple hat adorned with a large white feather.

"You must be Sakura Mikan! I'm Anju Narumi, 1st Year Faculty Advisor for Alice Academy's High School Division. Please call me Narumi-sensei."

Mikan accepted the beautiful rose with a grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Narumi-sensei."

Narumi-sensei beamed. Turning to Kaoru-san, he gestured grandly for them to enter his office. "Please do come in and make yourselves comfortable. I wasn't expecting to see you again, Kaoru-san, since meeting with you and Natsume-kun at the end of last term."

Mikan and Kaoru-san took seats across from Narumi-sensei's desk as he shut the door behind them. "Mikan-chan is a dear family friend. She lives with her grandfather near our summer vacation home. She's staying with the Imais during the school year while her grandfather prepares to retire, so the four of us are acting as her guardians while she's in Tokyo."

"I see," Narumi-sensei replied cheerfully, tossing his grand hat onto a nearby cabinet. Taking a seat behind his desk, he smiled broadly at his new student. "So tell me, Mikan-chan, how do you feel about transferring to Alice Academy?"

"Kind of nervous, but also really excited," Mikan answered honestly. "I've never been to a new school before and my last school was really small, so everything here seems really amazing."

Narumi-sensei nodded. "Yes, your middle school transcripts gave me that impression. There are lots of wonderful things to do here, so I hope that you'll enjoy yourself to the fullest over the next three years. So tell me a bit about yourself! What do you like about school? What do you dislike? What brings you joy outside of school?"

For the next 20 minutes, Mikan conversed animatedly with the friendly teacher as they volleyed questions and stories back and forth. She talked about her family and growing up in Makikawa, being careful to leave out the name of her hometown. She gushed about Hotaru and how excited she was to get to spend the school year with her. Narumi-sensei was an avid listener, laughing and asking further questions with genuine interest. Kaoru-san observed the conversation quietly, her scarlet eyes full of a sorrow-tinged happiness.

"Splendid! Now then, let's take a look at your class schedule, shall we? I'm sure you're anxious to know what this semester has in store for you," Narumi-sensei said as he handed Mikan a folder. "Inside, you'll also find your student I.D., a map of the high school building, a map of the campus, a copy of the school calendar, your shoe locker number, a syllabus for each of your classes, and various other informational documents. You should have already received your text books and uniforms, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Mikan replied. They'd been delivered to the Imai residence before she'd even arrived in Tokyo. Opening the folder, she began reading silently. _First Period: Fine Arts Survey with Narita-sensei, Second Period: Biology with Misaki-sensei, Third Period: Algebra with Jinno-sensei, Fourth Period: Japanese I with Narumi-sensei…_ "Eh?" Mikan looked up in surprise. "Narumi-sensei, you also teach Japanese?"

"I do indeed!" Narumi-sensei replied cheerfully. "Being the 1st Year Faculty Advisor is an extra role I play on top of being a teacher. One of our science teachers, Misaki-sensei, is the 2nd Year Faculty Advisor and one of our math teachers, Jinno-sensei, is the 3rd Year Faculty Advisor."

Mikan smiled broadly. "I look forward to learning from you then!" Looking back down at her class schedule, she read the name of her final class. _Fifth Period: Japanese History with Noda-sensei._ She glanced from Kaoru-san to Narumi-sensei as she stated, "I'm going to have to get used to this new schedule format. I'm used to taking the same eight classes all year in shorter periods, but I like this idea of taking five each semester in longer sessions. That means I'll end up graduating with six more credits than I would have at my old school, right?"

"Precisely. Alice Academy is dedicated to giving each of its students the perfect high school education tailored to each individual. By creating an advanced track for the standard general education requirements such as Japanese, science, math, etc., more time is left later for specialized elective coursework that will support you after graduation, whether in continuing education or the workforce," Narumi-sensei explained. "Choosing your classes as a 1st Year is much simpler than it will be as a 2nd and 3rd Year student since right now you're just taking standardized course selections. You'll meet with your Faculty Advisor each year, as well as any of our Curriculum & Career Counselors, to help you decide what electives to take later on."

Mikan grinned. "I'm excited about the elective courses! Kaoru-san and Saki-san looked at some of them with me when they were helping me with my enrollment. There are so many cool things to do here that I never would have had the chance to do at my old school. I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Narumi-sensei smiled warmly. "We're very glad to have you, Mikan-chan. I look forward to seeing you blossom here. You're always welcome to talk to me any time you have something on your mind." Glancing at a large clock hanging on his office wall, Narumi-sensei rose from his seat. "I believe you have a meeting with the principal before your campus tour, so I won't take up any more of your time. I look forward to seeing you in class on Monday."

Mikan followed Kaoru-san out the office door as Narumi-sensei held it open for them. "Thank you very much, Narumi-sensei!" she thanked the teacher with a bow.

Kaoru-san smiled at the teenage girl. "Mikan-chan, would you go hold the elevator for us, please?"

"Yes, ma'am."

As Mikan made her way down the hallway, Narumi-sensei smiled softly as he conversed quietly with Kaoru-san in his office doorway. "She's a wonderful girl, Kaoru-san. You would never guess that she's experienced such loss at her age. She carries herself with an inner joy that just radiates from her. Where on earth did you and Saki-san find such a little ray of sunshine?"

Narumi-sensei noted with curiosity the mysterious look in Kaoru-san's scarlet eyes. "Mikan-chan has been our families' secret treasure for nearly 10 years, ever since the summer after her parents passed away."

Narumi-sensei's eyebrows rose with interest. "Secret treasure?"

Kaoru-san gave him a complicated smile. Briefly, she reached out to give Narumi-sensei's arm a squeeze, as if bracing him for something, before turning her gaze towards the end of the hall. "Mikan-chan," she called. When the girl spun around, she asked, "What were your parents' names again?"

As Narumi-sensei watched, a brilliant smile lit the teenager's face. "Sakura Izumi and Yuka."

Mikan was too far away to hear the soft gasp that escaped her teacher's lips and she turned her back too quickly to notice the way his lilac eyes widened. He stared after her retreating figure with a stunned expression before his head whipped towards Kaoru-san. The woman nodded silently before placing a single finger to her lips. Without another word, she followed after her young charge, leaving her blonde friend to come to terms with many unspoken things on his own.

A few short minutes later, Mikan and Kaoru-san stood outside the high school principal's office on the top floor of the Administrative Building. Mikan continued to look around curiously at her luxurious surroundings as the secretary notified the principal of their arrival. She quickly straightened her shoulders and clasped her hands a tad nervously as the enormous wooden doors were opened. She followed closely behind Kaoru-san as she stepped inside.

Mikan's first impression of the high school principal was that he was quite tall. He stood behind an ornately carved desk situated in front of a huge window across the large office. As Mikan and Kaoru-san approached, he bowed. "Greetings, Kaoru-san. It's been too long."

As the ladies bowed in return, Kaoru-san replied warmly, "It has, Shiki-san. Thank you for making time to see us."

"Of course," the principal replied. "It's always important to me that I meet new students." Now that they stood closer, Mikan could see the principal's bluish gray eyes behind the silver fringe of his straight hair. She felt less intimidated when he turned to her with a kind, gentle smile. "So you're Sakura Mikan-san. Kaoru-san and Saki-san both speak very highly of you. I'm Masachika Shiki, the high school principal here at Alice Academy."

Mikan smiled. "Yes, sir. I'm Sakura Mikan. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She bowed respectfully for a second time. She was relieved that instead of having a strict and severe demeanor, the principal seemed to have a calm and steady personality.

"Please take a seat," he invited them, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Once they were all seated, he continued to address Mikan directly. "I'm aware of your current living situation and that the Hyuugas and Imais are acting as your guardians in your grandfather's stead, so most school matters will go to them. For example, if you need a permission slip signed, any of their signatures will do, or if you become ill or injured while on campus, we'll notify one of your guardians rather than your grandfather."

"I understand," Mikan responded. "I appreciate Alice Academy accommodating my situation."

"Of course," Principal Masachika replied. "It isn't uncommon for our students to have someone besides a parent designated as an acting guardian for day to day purposes. You aren't even the only student specifically in the Hyuuga's care."

"Huh?" Mikan blinked in confusion.

"He's referring to Ruka-kun, Mikan-chan," Kaoru-san spoke up. "With his parents out of the country so much, Hatsuharu and I have the same type of acting guardianship over him as we do over you."

"Oh! Of course," Mikan exclaimed as the light bulb went on in her head. "I don't know why that never occurred to me before."

Principal Masachika's bluish gray eyes continued to observe her as he asked, "Tell me, Sakura-san, what are you hoping to accomplish for yourself here at Alice Academy?"

Mikan didn't hesitate to reply, "I'm really looking forward to attending the same school as my best friends. I'm also excited to experience something so new and different; it's like an adventure! Of course, I also want to get a good education here. My parents wanted me to have great opportunities in life, so I want to honor their memory by being a good student since they made it possible for me to come here."

The principal smiled softly. "You're a good girl, Sakura-san. I'm sure that your parents are very proud of you."

Mikan beamed at the compliment. Just then, the phone sitting on Principal Masachika's desk buzzed. He clicked a button before asking, "Yes?"

The secretary's voice came out of the speaker. "Excuse me, sir, the 1st Year Class Representative is here."

"Very well. Send him in, please."

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a boy with dirty-blond hair around the same age as Mikan. His light brown eyes shone kindly from behind his glasses. He was sharply dressed in the yellow plaid slacks, crisp white short-sleeve shirt, and yellow tie of Alice Academy's high school summer uniform. With a bow, he greeted them properly. "Good morning, Principal Masachika. I'm here to give the new student her campus tour."

"Very good. Sakura-san, this is Tobita Yuu, your 1st Year Class Representative. As a member of the Student Council, he'll be taking you on your campus tour."

Mikan quickly rose from her seat to bow to the teenage boy with a bright smile. "It's nice to meet you! I'm Sakura Mikan. Please take care of me!"

The handsome boy smiled angelically as he straightened his glasses. "The pleasure is mine, Sakura-san. Welcome to Alice Academy. If you're ready, I'll be happy to begin your tour."

Kaoru-san caught Mikan's attention. "I'm going to leave the two of you to it while I chat with Shiki-san, then I'm going to head home. Please contact Ikeda-san when you're finished and he'll come pick you up at the front gate."

"Yes, ma'am," Mikan replied before bowing to the principal. "It was nice meeting you, Principal Masachika."

"Likewise," he answered with a smile. "My door is always open to you should you ever need anything."

"Thank you!" Mikan chirped before heading to the door.

"It was lovely to see you, Yuu-kun. Give my regards to your parents, please," Kaoru-san chimed in.

"I will. Thank you very much, Hyuuga-san." Yuu bowed once again before holding the door open for Mikan.

As soon as the two youngsters were out of sight, Kaoru-san turned back to Principal Masachika. "Well, Shiki-san, what do you think?"

There was a gentle sadness in the man's eyes as he took a deep breath. "I think she looks just like her mother, but her mannerisms remind me more of her father."

Kaoru-san's smile was warm. "I've always thought so, too. By the way, I think Narumi-sensei might need an explanation. I couldn't say much with Mikan-chan around, but I did give away her lineage."

"I see. I can't say that I'm surprised. If I were to choose anyone besides myself on campus to know the truth about Sakura Mikan, it would be him anyway. If he doesn't have any meetings at the moment, I'll summon him to my office. Better to set the record straight now than risk exposure."

"I agree," Kaoru-san replied. "A single slip up and all these years of protecting her could come to nothing."


	21. A Face For The Name

Chapter 21: A Face For The Name

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

Mikan immediately liked Tobita Yuu. He was kind and friendly, not at all like the stuck up rich kids that she'd been warned about. Although he gave off an air of being polite and studious, he smiled genuinely and spoke openly as they made their way to the front of the Administrative Building.

As they passed through the front doors, Mikan noticed an expensive looking white golf cart. "Iinchou, are we going to ride that?"

"Oh, yes. The campus is quite large and we'll be able to see much more of it if we drive than if we walk," the boy explained as he offered her a hand. She grinned as she stepped up into the front passenger seat, careful to adjust her skirt appropriately as she sat on the beige leather.

"I've never ridden one of these before! How do you keep from falling out with no doors?"

Yuu chuckled at the girl who was practically bouncing in her seat with anticipation. "It doesn't go very fast and I'm a careful driver. Rest assured, you're safe with me, Sakura-san." He started the ignition and smoothly pulled out onto the wide paved walkway.

Mikan smiled warmly. "Please, call me Mikan-chan!"

Yuu returned her smile. "Okay, then please call me by my given name as well, Mikan-chan."

Mikan laughed. "I'll probably call you 'Iinchou' while we're at school."

"Of course," Yuu replied. "Most of our classmates do."

Mikan turned her head this way and that as they drove along, soaking in everything her eyes could see. She pulled her campus map out of her student folder for reference as Yuu talked her through the layout of the massive property.

"Alice Academy has three entrances. The main entrance is the East Gate, which you came through today. There are two secondary entrances, the South Gate and the West Gate. The north wall doesn't have a gate because there's no road on the other side; that land is part of a protected nature reserve, so it can't be developed on.

You'll notice that the campus is divided into sections. As you can see on the map, the major sections are located in the corners and the center. As you enter the East Gate, the Menagerie is located to your right in the northeast corner while the Sports Area is to your left in the southeast corner. The Middle School Division is on the opposite side of the campus in the southwest corner and the Elementary School Division is in the northwest corner. The High School Division sits directly in the middle of the campus.

There are also several minor sections. The Administrative Building aligns with the East Gate, Central Town with the West Gate, and the Library with the South Gate. Lastly, there's a Specialty Area that sits along the north wall between the Elementary School Division and the Menagerie; it's a collection of buildings used primarily for elective classes and extracurricular clubs that have unique space or equipment requirements.

Although students are allowed to use any of the three entrances, in general high school students use the East Gate, middle school students use the South Gate, and elementary students use the West Gate due to their proximity to each of those academic division areas."

Mikan whistled. "Wow, this place really is huge! It's like a college campus. By the way, what's Central Town?"

Yuu smiled at her enthusiasm as he drove. "Central Town is the area where the dorms are located for residential students. It also has shops, restaurants, and other amenities for their convenience. Its strategic position in the middle of the three academic divisions makes classes easily accessible for the students who live there." As a large building came into view, Yuu informed her, "That's the High School Division where most of your classes will be held."

Mikan's eyes widened. She was certain that the building could have swallowed her last school whole. As Yuu parked the golf cart, she hopped down energetically.

Coming to stand by her side, Yuu asked, "Do you have your class schedule with you?" Mikan nodded as she pulled it out of her folder. Yuu smiled as he reviewed her classes. "It looks like we have Japanese History together 5th period."

"Really?" Mikan asked happily. "That's great! It'll be so nice to know someone in my class. I've never been the new kid before."

"Then let's plan on sitting together, Mikan-chan," Yuu offered kindly. As he led her up the front steps of the magnificent building, he asked her curiously, "So this is your first time going to a new school?"

"Yep! I've gone to the same little school in my hometown since kindergarten. I'm from a rural farming valley in the south, so this is all really new to me."

"I see," Yuu answered in surprise. "In that case, please don't hesitate to ask me for help any time you have a question." Mikan thanked him with a beautiful smile. She was already feeling more relaxed and excited about attending Alice Academy and her school tour had only just begun.

The High School Division was amazing. Mikan quickly learned that it wasn't so much one massive building as it was a collection of buildings connected by outdoor pathways on the ground floor and enclosed walkways called "skywalks" on the upper floors. Yuu showed her each of her classrooms and the best routes to take between them all. Some of them were traditional classrooms with desks, others were lecture halls that descended in tiers from the doorway down to the podium from which the teacher would speak, and still others were set up as state-of-the-art science labs or spacious art studios. The pair stopped by the enormous cafeteria, which reminded Mikan of the food courts in large shopping malls that she'd seen in movies, though much cleaner and of a higher quality. Her favorite part was the wide courtyard that opened up off of the cafeteria for eating, studying, and relaxing outdoors.

As he showed her around, Yuu introduced Mikan to a couple of her new teachers who were busy preparing for the upcoming school year in their classrooms. Misaki-sensei, who would be teaching her 2nd period Biology class, seemed friendly enough while Noda-sensei, who would be teaching both students in his 5th period Japanese History class, was very soft-spoken, kind, and just a tad spacey. When Yuu pointed out the nurse's office, he introduced her to Yamada Serina-sensei, the High School Division nurse. The beautiful blonde lady welcomed Mikan to Alice Academy with a sweet smile and an assurance that she should never hesitate to come see her if she ever felt unwell.

After touring the High School Division, they continued on to Central Town. Mikan insisted that they park the golf cart and walk when they arrived. She couldn't help gaping and running around excitedly as they explored, even losing herself momentarily when she grabbed Yuu by the hand to pull him along in her rush to see everything. Yuu laughed at her antics, grinning broadly as the pretty, joyful teenage girl took in her surroundings and pointed things out to him as if he, too, had never seen them before.

Each academic division had its own dormitory, which stood on the outskirts of the area, each resembling a tall apartment complex with the ground floor dedicated to eating and activity space for the residents. Central Town's inner area featured all kinds of shops and eateries with a massive courtyard in the middle. As they roamed, Mikan couldn't help noticing just how far the academy had gone to offer its residents every possible comfort and amenity; she saw an ice cream parlor, a playground next to the Elementary School dormitory, and even a small movie theatre. When they stopped at a tea pavilion for drinks, Yuu showed Mikan how to use her school I.D. like a credit card to make purchases on campus; he explained that anything she bought would be charged to her school account so that she would never have to worry about having money on hand when she needed something.

They chatted amiably at a little bistro table as they drank their drinks. Mikan told Yuu more about herself, mindful not to reveal exactly where she was from, as per Koaru-san's request. She soon discovered that Yuu knew Hotaru, Natsume, and Ruka quite well from all of the advanced level classes they'd taken together over the years. Mikan was delighted to learn that they had friends in common. She was really enjoying getting to know him since Yuu was very nice and easy to talk to. Unbeknownst to Mikan, Yuu was thinking the same thing about her.

When Yuu mentioned that his parents were both attorneys, the news nagged at Mikan's mind for a moment before she gasped and exclaimed, "Iinchou, is your mother Tobita Kana-sensei?" When Yuu confirmed her statement, she grinned broadly. "I know her! I met her a couple weeks ago when she came to the Imai and Hyuuga's vacation home." She explained how Tobita-sensei had helped prepare the legal paperwork giving guardianship of her to the Imais and Hyuugas in her grandfather's absence.

"I knew that my mother went out of town on business for a couple days, but I had no idea that she was going to Natsume-san and Hotaru-san's vacation home. So she was helping you prepare for your big move to Tokyo," Yuu mused. "I guess it's a small world after all."

"Definitely!" Mikan chirped cheerfully.

After finishing their beverages, the two teenagers returned to the golf cart to continue the tour. They made a loop past the Elementary School Division before driving through the Specialty Area, not stopping to examine either section in detail. Mikan listened as Yuu described what they were passing, continuously amazed by how much her new school had to offer. When they reached the Menagerie, they got out to walk again. There were gardens, green houses, a barn full of animals, a horse stable attached to a small oval racetrack, and laboratory facilities for all manner of plant and animal studies. Mikan loved it all and could imagine Ruka coming here often to visit the animals.

Next, they continued circling the campus by driving past the East Gate where Mikan had entered that morning and on to the Sports Area. Yuu pointed out various sports fields and arenas before parking in front of a state-of-the-art fitness facility called the Alice Academy Athletic Center. Mikan's eyes widened at the enormity of it. Yuu took her inside for a full facility tour. The Athletic Center seemed to have everything— multiple pools, gymnasiums, weight rooms, tracks, a gymnastics studio, several dance studios, and locker rooms. There were offices for coaches, designated areas for sports performance therapy, and even a full-time nutrition specialist. By the end of the tour, Mikan was convinced that this one building alone offered more recreational activities than her entire village of Makikawa.

"I can't believe this is all part of a high school campus," Mikan exclaimed in amazement as she took her seat next to Yuu in the golf cart. "No wonder the tuition is so insanely expensive."

"It really is the highest quality education available anywhere in the country," Yuu commented as they headed towards the South Gate so that he could show her the Library. "I'm sure that I'm a bit biased since this is the only school that I've ever gone to, but I like to think that the statistics speak for themselves. Alice Academy graduates go on to do great things." He offered Mikan a smile. "I'm sure you'll be no exception."

Mikan grinned. "I hate to break it to you, Iinchou, but I'm not really what you'd call a stellar student, academically speaking. I always try my best though."

Yuu chuckled at her optimistic honesty. "I believe you. You seem like the kind of person who gives everything their best shot."

"Why thank you," Mikan replied cheerfully, tossing her long caramel hair back dramatically and fluttering her eyelids comically. Both teenagers laughed out loud as the campus library came into view.

After parking the golf cart, Yuu asked, "Would you like to go inside?"

Before Mikan could answer, her cell phone buzzed. Pulling it out of her dress pocket, she quickly checked her incoming text messages. Turning to Yuu, she asked, "How much more is there to see? Hotaru's mother is asking if they should expect me home for lunch."

"After the library, all that's left is the Middle School Division."

Hesitantly, Mikan asked, "Do you think we could call it quits here then? I'm super grateful for the tour— this campus is truly amazing— but I am getting pretty hungry."

"No problem, Mikan-chan. The Middle School Division isn't super relevant to you anyway and you can get help finding anything in the Library at the welcome desk," Yuu assured her. "The Library offers computer labs, private and group study rooms, conference rooms, and more, all of which you can access at the welcome desk with your student I.D., which also serves as your library card for checking out books and other materials."

"Thank you, Iinchou," Mikan chirped cheerfully as Yuu restarted the engine. She quickly sent a reply text to Saki-san confirming that she would be home soon for lunch. When Yuu dropped her off at the East Gate a short while later, she hopped down from the golf cart and spun around to offer him a bow. "Thank you for the wonderful tour, Yuu-kun! I had a really great time. You know everything there is to know about Alice Academy," she thanked him sincerely.

Yuu smiled as he stepped down to return her bow. "It was my pleasure, Mikan-chan. I'm happy to have met you. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask and I'll do my best as your 1st Year Class Representative to assist you."

Mikan's expression became teasing. "What about as my first new friend at Alice Academy?"

Behind his glasses, Yuu's light brown irises shone brightly. "As that, too."

Mikan laughed delightedly. "Bye, Yuu-kun! I'll see you in History on Monday!" She started walking towards the gate when Yuu suddenly called out to her again. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before his features became resolved.

"May I escort you to the Sakuradia?"

"Sure!" Mikan answered without hesitation, thinking that he was offering to show her another spot on campus sometime. Yuu's face immediately broke out into a wide smile. She grinned and waved one last time before beginning the walk home. Kaoru-san had told her that she could contact Ikeda-san for a ride, but she didn't feel like bothering him. It was a beautiful day and soon she would be walking back and forth to school every day anyway, so she might as well try walking the distance now. After all, the Hyuuga and Imai estate was just down the street, surely no more than 10 or 15 minutes on foot.

Mikan held her student folder by her side as she walked, admiring the way the sunlight filtered through the trees planted along the sidewalk as she went. It was an incredibly quiet and peaceful neighborhood. Each time she passed a gate, she glanced inside at another magnificent mansion barricaded behind the high brick wall. Even after knowing the Hyuugas and Imais for so many years, she still couldn't fathom how wealthy someone had to be to live in such an opulent area of Tokyo.

She was halfway down the street when a sleek, expensive looking car suddenly pulled over next to her. The back door was quickly thrown open, startling her into instinctively taking several steps back from the unidentified vehicle. Before she could fully react, a male voice issued a simple two word command.

"Get in."

* * *

Natsume bowed deeply to the gentleman standing in the office doorway. "Thank you, Sato-san. Please continue to look after me in the future."

"Not at all, Natsume-sama. You continue to impress me and all of the other senior staff. I look forward to your continued achievements in high school. Hyuuga Defense Industries is lucky to have you."

Natsume nodded respectfully. "Thank you for your kind words. I hope that I'm able to continue to uphold the honor of both HDI and the Hyuuga family name."

Sato Naozumi smiled. "Of that, young man, I am confident." Just then, a secretary approached the pair bearing a stack of files. Taking her arrival as his cue to exit, Natsume took his leave of HDI's Chief Operations Officer.

As he headed down the hallway on the top floor of HDI's administrative building, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. After sending a quick text to Takahashi-san (his father's driver) alerting him that he was ready to return home, he stopped by his father's executive office to say goodbye. Hatsuharu-san smiled kindly at his only son.

"Have you concluded all of your business for today then?"

"Yes, sir. I completed my registration paperwork with the training academy and I just finished giving my regards to all of the senior level management except for Ito-san, who was unavailable when I stopped by his office," Natsume reported.

Hatsuharu-san nodded. "Mid-quarter financials are being analyzed right now, so Ito-san has been in meetings all week. I'm sure you'll get a chance to offer him your greetings at another time." Resting his arms on his desk, he asked, "What do you remember about our client Hoshi Entertainment?"

Natsume quickly scanned his memory for the business. "Hoshi Entertainment runs large-scale entertainment venues, including the Tokyo Concert Complex. HDI runs security for them."

Hatsuharu-san nodded. "The owner, Chiba Haruka, is hosting a dinner at his yacht club two Saturday's from now and we've garnered an invitation. I have plans to get away with your mother that entire weekend, so I'd like you to go to represent HDI. It's not a very high profile event, so I normally wouldn't mind simply declining this time; however, one of their rivals, Goshima Events, lost its contract to host the Japanese Academy Awards and Hoshi Entertainment has been slotted to take over. This will become their largest and most profitable annual event and the success of their first time running it will determine the length of the contract that the Japanese Academy Awards will sign with them. Obviously, HDI will be running security for the event on Hoshi Entertainment's behalf, so I want to stay in touch and in good standing with Chiba-san in the meantime."

Natsume nodded. "I understand, Otou-san."

His father's hazel eyes studied him from behind champagne colored bangs for a moment before he continued. "The invitation comes with a plus one. What would you think of taking Mikan-chan?"

Natsume's eyebrows rose minutely in surprise. "I doubt she'd enjoy something like that very much," he answered slowly, his garnet irises searching his father's face, curious as to the motivation behind the suggestion.

Hatsuharu-san's gentle smile widened at his son's cautiousness when it came to the teenage girl. "She might not, but I think it would be beneficial for her to go. She's new to the world of high society and I think the more that she's exposed to it, the sooner she'll acclimate. I also think that the more she's seen rubbing elbows with us and the Imais, the more the members of high society will accept her. I heard from your mother that you're worried that Mikan-chan might get picked on in school because her social standing is lower than most of your classmates." Natsume twitched at the unpleasant reminder. "While you're right that there are those that will inevitably judge her poorly because her background doesn't meet their expectations, you shouldn't underestimate the power of her association with our families. You know that I don't encourage you or your sister to flaunt our wealth or influence needlessly, but there are times that it can be used appropriately. If we get Mikan-chan in the door, so to speak, then she can find and build a place to fit in for herself."

Natsume met his father's steady gaze, his expression serious. "You think that people will be less likely to reject her if they see that we accept her?"

Hatsuharu-san smiled ruefully. "At least outwardly, yes." He cleared his throat. "It also wouldn't be bad for you to be seen escorting the same girl repeatedly in public. Regardless of whether you and Mikan-chan remain just friends or become boyfriend and girlfriend, it would be good for you to have a regular partner for times you need a plus one. Now that you're in high school, it will happen more often and people hoping to get or stay in good favor with us might try to pair you off with their own young ladies, which may still be necessary on occasion, but if we can limit it, there'll be less opportunities to offend someone if we aren't as receptive to their interests as they'd like us to be, so think of Mikan-chan as a deterrent."

Natsume grunted as he pondered his father's words. "Okay. I'll ask her to attend Chiba-san's dinner with me."

Hatsuharu-san nodded pleasantly. "Thank you, Natsume-kun. I'll be working late tonight so that I can take off early tomorrow; we're all going to the Nogi's condo for dinner while Ren-san and Lina-san are in town visiting Ruka-kun."

Natsume bowed. "Thank you, Otou-san. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodbye, son."

After departing his father's office, Natsume's easy, confident strides quickly carried him downstairs where Takahashi-san was waiting for him with the car. On the drive home, his mind was racing with thoughts of the previous exchange. So Mikan was going to start attending social functions with him in hopes of slowly introducing her to Tokyo's high society and to act as a shield for him against others trying to set him up with girls for personal gain. The latter reason irritated him because it felt like he was using Mikan, although he couldn't deny that if he had to accompany someone to these sorts of things, he'd rather it be her than some other girl. He mulled over the first purpose more favorably. Would closely associating her with the Hyuugas and Imais really elevate her position in the public eye? His father seemed confident in his assessment and Natsume knew that he loved Mikan like a daughter and would never intentionally compromise her. Maybe staking a claim on her would encourage people to treat her with caution rather than open hostility? If that's the way it would work in the business world, then maybe the same approach could be useful in high school?

Natsume sighed heavily. Truth be told, Mikan had been on his mind all morning even before his father had brought her up. While he was at HDI, she'd been visiting Alice Academy for the first time. He assumed that everything had gone fine since the campus would have been mostly empty, but the possibility that something could have gone wrong nagged at him. It was so important that Mikan be able to enjoy her school life if she was to remain in Tokyo and Natsume didn't want anything to jeopardize that. What if his fan girls really did give her a hard time once they realized her connection to him? Even if he only treated her as a childhood friend and nothing more while they're at school, his fan girls' jealousy was bound to make them dislike her.

"Damn" Natsume muttered under his breath as they turned onto his street. He cared for her so much it was almost ridiculous. They may have only been romantic with each other for a month or two, but they'd been close friends for nearly a decade, so it made sense that he felt so strongly about her. He scoffed. "Just a childhood friend, _my ass."_ He glanced out his window, then did a double-take. "What the... _Pull over,"_ he commanded. Immediately, Takahashi-san complied and Natsume threw his door open. "Get in."

On the sidewalk outside the car, the object of his affections balked. "What the heck, Natsume! Are you trying to scare me to death? I thought you were a kidnapper or something."

Natsume smirked. "Better to have me kidnap you than a stranger. Now get in." Mikan rolled her eyes, but smiled as she slid into the backseat beside him. Once the door was shut and her seatbelt fastened, Takahashi-san continued towards home. Natsume sat close and gripped her hand in his as he searched her face. "What were you doing, Polka Dots?"

"Walking home," Mikan answered dubiously, her smile amused. "What are _you_ doing?"

" _Riding_ home, which is what you should have been doing. What would possess you to walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood _alone?"_

Mikan was clearly confused. "What do you mean? This is _your_ neighborhood. You guys have told me that you walk to and from school every day. Why would I think it might be unsafe?"

"This neighborhood is very safe and once you're used to it, walking by yourself won't be a big deal, but right now it's still new to you, and more importantly, you're new to it. No one on this street would recognize you, so what would you do if a resident or a security guard came out of one of these houses and questioned who you are and what you're doing wandering in front of their property?"

Mikan blinked innocently. "I'd answer them."

Natsume's lips twitched. He wanted to scold her, but she was just too cute. He shook his head. "Have someone with you at least until the first week of school is over, okay?"

"Okay," Mikan conceded, looping her arm through his so that she could snuggle closer to him, enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers. "How was HDI?" she asked happily.

Natsume observed her face unusually closely. "It was fine. I registered for the next phase of my training and gave my regards to the senior staff members. Nothing particularly special." His thumb began to rub the back of her hand. "How was your appointment at the academy?"

"It was great!"

Mikan's bubbly personality came out in full force as she began describing her visits with Narumi-sensei and Principal Masachika, and her campus tour with Yuu. She raved about how amazing everything was and how nice everyone had been. She was still talking when the car came to a stop in front of the Hyuuga mansion and the pair stepped out onto the driveway.

"So nothing uncomfortable happened?" Natsume asked nonchalantly as they stood together. He was still gripping her hand firmly in his.

Mikan blinked. "No, not at all." She noticed the way that his garnet eyes were roving her face as if searching for the truth. After a moment, it clicked. She smirked. "I wasn't mauled by any of your silly fan girls and no one judged me for being a poor commoner, if that's what you're worried about. Honestly, I didn't even meet any other students besides Yuu-kun. There weren't many besides us on campus. Yuu-kun said that the residential students won't move in until this weekend."

Natsume's expression cleared at her words. In light of all of his thoughts and worries about her this morning, having her well and with him again was a welcome relief. He started walking towards the garden between the two mansions, pulling her along with him. "Good. So you feel ready for Monday?"

"Definitely! Especially since I made my first new friend already," she told him brightly. "Yuu-kun has Japanese History with me 5th period, so at least I'll know someone in one of my classes. I can't wait to compare schedules with you, Hotaru, and Ruka-pyon to see if we have any classes together, too."

Natsume nodded as they wandered down a path surrounded by flowering bushes and trees. "Yuu-san is a good person. He's nice to a fault, which is one of the reasons that he always serves on the Student Council. He's smart, too; he almost always has the highest GPA in our grade."

"Almost?" Mikan teased, confident of what his explanation would be.

Sure enough, Natsume replied with a smirk, "Imai and I may have beaten him once or twice."

Mikan laughed, the bright sound tinkling like chimes on the breeze. As they approached a trellis covered in a thick layer of green leaves, Natsume stepped inside, smoothly pulling Mikan into his arms where they would be out of sight even to the many windows facing the beautiful garden. Mikan grinned cheerfully as she wound her arms around his neck. Even in the shade, his garnet irises seemed lit by an internal fire.

"So you haven't regretted coming here yet?"

Mikan didn't even try to resist the temptation to run her fingers through Natsume's silky black hair as she countered his question with one of her own. "Are you expecting me to?"

In a moment of vulnerable honesty, Natsume murmured, "Afraid you will."

Mikan's gold-flecked amber eyes softened. "I'm not going anywhere, Natsume. I'm not saying that I don't miss Jii-chan and Makikawa, but I'm sincerely happy to be here and I'm going to give Alice Academy and Tokyo a 110% shot before making up my mind about anything." Her smile could have melted the glacier that sank the Titanic when she added, "I consider myself lucky to be able to live my life here with Hotaru and Aoi-chan and Ruka-pyon… with your families… with you." Her cheeks became rosy as her heart beat quickened pleasantly.

Natsume's heart leapt in his chest. _Oh, to_ hell _with it,_ he thought brusquely as he leaned down and kissed her deeply. Holding her close, Natsume felt something tight within his chest begin to unwind. When their lips parted, he breathed huskily, "Go out with me." When she blinked and titled her head curiously, he clarified. "Date number two." Instantly, she grinned.

"Okay. What do you have in mind?"

Natsume smirked down at her. "I don't know. I'll think of something." He tried to kiss her again, but she giggled as she turned her head away.

"Why ask me out if you don't know what you want to do yet?"

Natsume grunted noncommittally, placing his lips against her cheek as she avoided his kiss. "Because I want to. The details can wait."

"Fine, but I have a request." Mikan placed one hand on his cheek so that he would look her in the eyes. "Can we wait until after the first week of school? I'd like to at least get past that much before trying to focus on anything else."

"Deal," Natsume answered, taking advantage of the angle to claim her lips again. She was so darn cute in her pretty sundress with her mother's earrings and _his_ ring. He'd noticed her wearing it while she was chopping apples in the kitchen before breakfast and seeing it filled him with something primal, a possessive sort of emotion akin to pride. It filled him with relief to hear that not only had nothing gone wrong during her appointment at the academy today, she'd actually really enjoyed herself. He knew the feeling would only last until Monday when he would worry about her all over again, but for now, he was content to relish these sparse moments of privacy to hold her and kiss her without restraint.

Just then, he heard the sound of Mikan's phone alerting her to the arrival of a text message. Not quite ready to be interrupted, he smirked into their kiss as he suddenly lifted her off her feet, instantly causing her to squeal in surprise. She was grinning delightedly when he finally released her lips and set her back on the ground. He refused to release his hold on her waist as she checked her cell phone.

"Lunch is ready! Thank goodness, I'm _starving."_

Natsume rolled his eyes as they stepped out onto the path, once again taking her hand in his. "You're always starving."

Mikan laughed, jerking his hand sharply as she exclaimed, "You're one to talk! You can eat way more than I can. I've seen it!"

The pair continued to bicker lightheartedly as they headed towards the back of the Imai mansion. When they entered the door of the sunny atrium where lunch was being served, they saw that Saki-san, Kaoru-san, and Hotaru were already waiting for them. The two mothers exchanged glances and smiles at the sight of the teenagers' entwined hands, but smartly refrained from commenting on it. Mikan happily pranced around the table to sit next to Hotaru as Natsume took a seat beside his mother.

As they enjoyed the scrumptious spread, Kaoru-san asked, "How was the tour, Mikan-chan?"

"It was great! Alice Academy is amazing and Yuu-kun was _so_ nice. He showed me almost everything." Enthusiastically, she recounted her experience seeing the vast campus for the first time. "The only thing I'm a little bit worried about is getting to all of my classes on time. The High School Division is so big!"

Saki-san chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine, dear. You have 15 minutes between all of your classes and you'll get used to the layout before too long. Do you have your class schedule with you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Mikan retrieved the sheet of paper from her folder and handed it to Saki-san, who shook her head in amusement as she scanned the page. "It's amazing to think that my own daughter and her friends will be taught by one of the same teachers that I had when I was in school. Jinno-sensei has been there forever it seems."

Kaoru-san grinned as she accepted the class schedule from her friend. "Jinno-sensei, huh? I doubt he'll ever retire." Turning to her son, she asked, "Do you want to take a look? Maybe the two of you will have some classes together this semester."

Mikan's legs bounced up and down rapidly beneath the table in anticipation as Natsume silently looked over her class schedule. Smirking, he handed it back to her. "We have Japanese I together fourth period."

Mikan grinned. "That's great! I was hoping for more, but one is still better than none," she said optimistically. Turning to Hotaru, she asked excitedly, "What about you, Hotaru?" After a moment of glancing over the page, Hotaru stoically informed her best friend that they didn't have a single class in common. Mikan was immediately forlorn. "What?! I moved all this way so that I could go to your school and we don't have even _one_ class together? How can that be?" she wailed dramatically.

Blandly, Hotaru admonished the distressed girl. "Pipe down, baka. You're 40% more annoying when you whine."

"But Hotaru…." Mikan moaned piteously.

Hotaru calmly sipped her tea. "Be grateful. In addition to sharing a class with Hyuuga, you'll have Ruka with you for Japanese History fifth period. You're fortunate to have any classes with us since we're all taking Advanced Biology and Calculus I while you're only taking the standard science and math courses."

Mikan perked up at the news. "Really? You know Ruka-pyon's schedule?"

Hotaru gave her a sidelong glance that said of course she knew her boyfriend's class schedule. Mikan smiled, choosing to look on the bright side. "Well, at least I'll know someone in a couple of my classes then. Yuu-kun said that he has Japanese History during fifth period, too, so I'll even know two people in that class."

"It sounds like you're off to a good start already, Mikan-chan," Kaoru-san said encouragingly. "Maybe Sumire-chan or Koko-kun will be in some of your morning classes."

Mikan grinned. "I guess we'll know soon enough! I'll ask them at the party on Friday."

As they continued eating, Saki-san addressed the pair of teenage girls. "I'm attending an afternoon tea on Sunday not this weekend, but the next. It's a fundraiser for breast cancer research, so the theme is 'Pretty in Pink.' Would you girls care to join me? I'd like to go ahead and purchase the tickets early."

Mikan grinned. "That sounds like fun! A real tea party!"

Hotaru nodded. "I'll go, too."

Saki-san smiled. "Alright, I'll go ahead and get tickets for all of us then."

"I already bought one for Aoi-chan," Kaoru-san chipped in. "I'll be out of town, so she's planning on attending with Nobara-chan."

Beside his mother, Natsume looked thoughtful. "That's the 21st, isn't it?" When she nodded, he turned to Mikan. "Otou-san asked me to attend a dinner being hosted by one of HDI's clients on Saturday night that same weekend. Will you be my date?"

Mikan briefly looked surprised before grinning. "Sure!"

Natsume smirked. "It'll probably be incredibly boring."

Mikan laughed. "That's okay. At least we'll be bored together!"

Kaoru-san smiled questioningly at her son. "I'm guessing your father asked you because he and I will be out of town that weekend. Whose dinner is it?"

"Chiba-san of Hoshi Entertainment."

"Ah," Kaoru-san mused understandingly, "I can imagine why he'd want at least one of us there to represent HDI, given our current involvement with their new project of hosting the Japanese Academy Awards."

Natsume nodded. "Otou-san filled me in when he asked me to attend."

Grinning broadly, Kaoru-san winked across the table at Mikan. "Looks like you're in for a full weekend after your first week of school, Mikan-chan!"

Mikan laughed before raising her glass in a playful toast. "Let the adventure _begin!"_

* * *

The rest of Wednesday and all of Thursday seemed to fly by for Mikan. She had a long video call with her grandfather and Sachiko-san, telling them all about her first visit to Alice Academy. On Thursday night, she joined the Imai and Hyuuga families for dinner at the Nogi's high-rise city condo. Even Hotaru's older brother Subaru showed up after a long day of clinicals at Toyko General Hospital. Mikan hadn't seen him or Ren-san and Lina-san in a very long time, so she was extremely pleased to get to visit with them. It was one of the rare times that all three full sets of her friends' families were present together and Mikan fully enjoyed the wonderful evening surrounded by so many people that she loved.

Before she knew it, it was nearly two o'clock on Friday afternoon and friends were beginning to arrive for the Hyuuga and Imai's annual end-of-summer pool party. Mikan sat on the front steps of the Imai mansion with Hotaru, Aoi, Natsume, and Ruka as the first car made its way up the driveway. Mikan grinned when Sumire and Koko stepped out. She waved excitedly as they approached.

"Hi, Permy! Hi, Koko!"

"Hi, Mikan-chan!" Koko greeted back. He was grinning broadly as he walked beside his girlfriend with his arm slung around her shoulders. "Are you ready to party?"

"Absolutely!"

Koko exchanged a fist bump with Mikan before throwing his free arm around her. Giving both girls a squeeze, he cheered loudly, "This is going to be the best year ever!"

Sumire raised an eyebrow, skeptically looking across him at Mikan. "What are you wearing?"

Mikan laughed. "Clothes, Permy. I'm wearing clothes."

The emerald-eyed beauty clicked her tongue in disapproval. "You're wearing your old country clothes again. This is a party. You should at least be wearing one of your new outfits."

With the hand that wasn't wrapped around Koko, Mikan saluted the fashion maven with a grin. "Yes, ma'am! Since you're here, I'll wear whatever you want me to."

Koko nodded his head with a mischievous smile. "That's what I always do; give the woman whatever she wants and life is good."

Ruka's hands squeezed Hotaru's shoulders from his seat on the step behind her. "That's the best way to treat any girlfriend."

"If you want to keep her," Hotaru threw back casually. Aoi giggled while Natsume rolled his eyes.

Just then, another vehicle came through the gated entrance and made its way towards them. When it stopped, Koko dropped his arms from around Sumire and Mikan to race towards the teenage boy who was emerging from the backseat. The group watched in amusement as the two boys bear-hugged each other, alternately lifting each other off the ground as they whooped for joy at seeing each other.

"Bro, you made it!" Koko hollered happily.

The other brunette pounded his friend's back with gusto. "Dude, have I ever missed this party? Like, _ever?"_

The pair tussled each other playfully before making their way over to their friends, arms draped around each other's necks. With a broad grin, Koko announced, "Mikan-chan, allow me to introduce my best friend since birth, Akeshi Kitsuneme." Turning to his friend, he gestured dramatically. "Kitsu, this is the _infamous_ Sakura Mikan."

Mikan giggled. "I'm infamous?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely infamous." If not for the boy's narrow dark brown eyes, Mikan thought he could have been Koko's twin. "It's nice to finally meet the face that goes with the name after all these years." Turning to his best friend, Kitsu's voice took on an accusatory tone. "You didn't tell me she was so cute."

Koko smirked. "You didn't ask."

"Still— _Ow!"_ Kitsu rubbed the back of his head where Sumire had just whacked him as she moved to link arms with Mikan and drag her over to the steps to take a seat with the others.

"Ignore him, Sakura. He has less tact than a monkey."

Mikan giggled at the trio's antics. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Akeshi-san."

"Hey now, _whoa,"_ Kitsu held up his hands in protest. "Kitsu or Kitsu-kun will do just fine."

"Then please call me Mikan-chan," she offered with a grin.

As Kitsu turned to chat with Natsume and Ruka, two more vehicles approached the growing procession. Aoi excitedly jumped up to meet the first one, throwing her arms around a girl her age in a warm hug before grabbing a boy with pewter gray hair by the hand. As they got closer, Mikan could see that the girl was very pretty with dazzling ice blue eyes and silvery blue hair that fell in soft curls around her face. Mikan recognized her immediately and hopped up to give the younger girl a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you, Nobara-chan! It's been so long!"

"You, too, Mikan-nee!" Ibaragi Nobara was one of Aoi's two best friends and had met Mikan a number of years ago when she came to visit the vacation house in Makikawa. The sweet girl had been very drawn to Mikan's warm, cheerful personality and still looked up to her.

With a grin, Aoi tugged the boy forward. "Mikan-nee, this is Hijiri Yoichi. Yo-chan, this is Mikan-nee."

Mikan bowed, smiling brightly at the boy whose teal eyes were observing her rather critically. Despite being about two years younger than her, he was the same height. "Hi! I'm Sakura Mikan. Aoi-chan has told me a lot about you."

"Hmm" was the boy's only response. Ignoring her, he turned away to head towards Natsume. Mikan bit her tongue as she tried not to laugh out loud. Aoi had been right, Yo-chan was definitely a lot like Natsume. The ruby-eyed girl huffed. "Oi! Yo-chan!" She looked like she wanted to go after him, but Nobara's soft voice and hand on her arm stopped her.

"Wait, Aoi. Yo-chan isn't good with strangers. You know that."

Aoi grumbled. "She isn't a stranger; she's Mikan-nee."

Mikan patted her back cheerfully. "It's okay, Aoi-chan! That was more of a greeting than your brother gave me when we first met." Looking past the two younger girls, Mikan watched as a tall, strongly built boy with buzzed eggplant-colored hair and a fashionable looking girl with hair of the same shade cut just above her shoulders made their way towards the group from the last car. Beside her, Sumire stood up to greet the girl.

"Hey, babe."

"Hey back." Coming to a stop right in front of them, the girl pushed a pair of Chanel sunglasses on top her head so that she could observe Mikan more clearly. "So you're the country girl, eh?"

Mikan quickly stood up and bowed. "I'm Sakura Mikan. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Usami Wakako," the girl replied, not bothering to return the bow. She swept her gaze up and down before quirking a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "What are you wearing?"

Beside her, Sumire crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "That's exactly what I asked her."

Mikan spun around playfully before posing with one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her head. "It's called a t-shirt and shorts. It's the latest trend, all the rage in America," she teased.

Wakako snorted. "And that's where you went wrong. Don't ever base your wardrobe decisions on American trends. The only contributions they've ever made to the fashion industry are denim and leggings."

Mikan grinned broadly. "I'll take your word for it."

"Speaking of," Sumire smirked, "you said that you'd wear whatever I want while I'm here, so let's go to your room so I can show you what's what in that wardrobe I sent you."

"Ooo, we're playing dress-up with Mikan-nee?" Aoi asked gleefully. "Count us in!" Beside her, Nobara giggled. As the group of girls began making their way up the front steps, Aoi called, "Come on, Hotaru-nee! We're going to Mikan-nee's room."

As his girlfriend joined them, Ruka got their attention. "Mikan-chan, you still haven't met Mochu!"

Mikan popped her head out of the cluster of bodies to meet the deep purple eyes of the only person she hadn't met yet. The tall, buff boy was standing next to Natsume and Yo-chan with his hands shoved casually in his pockets in a manner that seemed very reminiscent of Natsume's trademark stance. He wore a serious facial expression as he regarded her indifferently.

Wakako sniffed dismissively. "Oh, yeah, that's my twin brother, Usami Mochiage. Just call him Mochu."

Brightly, Mikan chirped, "It's nice to meet you, Mochu-kun! I'm Sakura Mikan."

"I've heard," he answered in a low baritone.

Wakako wasted no time prodding Mikan forward into the Imai house with the other girls. As the boys started to head for the pool house behind the Hyuuga mansion where the servants had already taken the guests' overnight bags, Koko elbowed Mochu's side with a grin. "Don't worry, man. Mikan-chan's awesome! You'll love her!"

Mochu merely grunted in response. On his other side, Natsume's keen garnet eyes regarded him for a moment. "She's good." When Mochu turned to meet his gaze, he repeated, "She's good."

Though subtle, Natsume noted that his friend's shoulders relaxed a bit. He knew that Mochu had admired and respected him since they were small, even more than Yo-chan. The teen was incredibly loyal and protective of anyone he considered part of his circle of friends. This made him naturally wary of newcomers to the group, especially girls, whom he knew gave Natsume more trouble than good. Although Mochu had heard plenty about Sakura Mikan over the years, the stories had mostly come from Ruka, and Natsume being Natsume hadn't really made his own personal opinion of her very clear, so he understood Mochu's hesitation towards accepting her. Satisfied that he had alleviated his friend's concerns for the moment, Natsume turned his attention to the other boys' conversation as they all headed towards the pool house.

In Mikan's bedroom, Hotaru, Aoi, and Nobara lounged and chatted while Sumire and Wakako held Mikan captive in her closet.

"You can't learn everything there is to know about fashion in such a short span of time, so here's three basic rules to live by," Sumire instructed with one hand on her cocked hip and the other counting down the rules on her fingers. "One, build your ensemble around neutrals. Two, less is more. Three, when in doubt, stick to your body's shape and color palette. These three rules will carry you through 95% of your fashion decisions."

Mikan blinked owlishly several times. "Okay, I don't know what any of that means."

Sumire smirked. "I figured as much, so let's break it down one rule at a time." After quickly rifling through a few drawers, she held up a black shirt and red pants. "Rule one is to build your outfit around neutrals. That simply means that either your top or your bottom piece should be neutral while your other piece can be colorful, printed, or patterned. So here we have a neutral top with a colorful bottom." After returning the outfit, she grabbed a floral blouse and a white skirt. "And here we have a printed top with a neutral bottom. See? By pairing your colorful piece with a neutral, you're ensuring that your outfit will always go together instead of clash. Got it?"

Mikan nodded. "Yep! That seems easy enough."

From her seat on the white leather bench in the middle of the room-size closet, Wakako smirked. "It seems easy now, but there are three exceptions that you'll have to remember if you really want to do this rule justice." Standing up, she turned to a rack, grabbed one dress and one romper, and held them both up for Mikan to see. "The first exception is one piece outfits. The rule of neutrals doesn't apply because there aren't two pieces for you to put together. They simply are what they are, such as this colorful dress and neutral romper. With me so far?"

Mikan's head bobbed up and down studiously. "One piece outfits are exempt from the rule of neutrals. Got it."

Sumire, who had been browsing through Mikan's closet, held up a cream colored sweater and a pair of white jeans. "The second exception is completely neutral outfits. Neutrals go with everything, including each other, so you can pair any two neutral pieces together and they'll look good, like this cream colored sweater and white jean." Tossing the items aside, she grabbed a top and skirt combo. "The final exception is _paired_ outfits. See how this top is the _exact same shade_ of periwinkle blue as the flowers in the skirt? The top is colorful and the bottom is printed. Even without a neutral, they still go together, but that's only because they are a _paired set._ Someday you might have the experience to pair non-neutral pieces together that weren't actually made for each other without them clashing and looking horrible, but for now, stick to this formula when choosing your outfits." The fashion maven quirked an eyebrow at the caramel haired teenager. "I should have asked you this first, but do you even know which colors count as neutrals?"

Mikan grinned. "Of course! Even I know that much. Neutrals are white, black, brown, and… tan… beige… _off-brown_ colors…" Her voice quickly lost its confident tone.

"Off-brown?" Wakako exchanged a dubious look with her best friend. "That's not even a real color."

Sumire sighed. "I knew you were a blank slate, Sakura, but come on, how have you dressed yourself all these years without even knowing what neutrals are?"

As Mikan watched, Sumire and Wakako scurried around the closet grabbing articles of clothing and tossing them onto the bench seat. When they finished, Sumire crossed her arms. "Okay, Sakura, which ones are neutrals?"

Mikan looked over the assortment before pointing. "White, black, brown, tan… and gray?"

"Wrong! They're _all_ neutrals."

"What?!" Mikan exclaimed, her eyes widening in denial. "There's green, blue, and even pink!"

"Fashion has had a lot of years to evolve, Sakura."

Wakako counted off on her fingers. "Black, white, and brown are your three basic neutrals. All shades in between— your grays, tans, beiges, khaki, etc.— are also neutrals. The fashion community has long considered navy blue to be a neutral as well, but now includes olive green and blush pink, too. _Just_ navy, olive, and blush, not other variations of blue, green, or pink."

Mikan pondered this new information briefly before shrugging her shoulders in surrender. "I don't really get the logic behind it, but I'll trust you guys."

Sumire smirked. "Good choice. So what's the first fashion rule to live by and the three exceptions to it?"

Mikan bounced on her heels as she recited, "Build your outfit around neutrals by making either your top or bottom piece neutral, unless you make both pieces neutral, it's a one piece outfit, or it's a paired outfit."

Sumire looked pleased. "Right! Now moving on to rule number two: _less is more._ I hardly think this one merits an explanation, but since it's you we're talking to, I will. Basically, if you're having trouble accessorizing an outfit, you're better off going without something than adding too many extraneous, mismatched details. If you're debating between a funky pair of shoes, a fun hat, and a fabulous scarf, choose one and leave the others behind for another day. Again, these rules are for _95% of the time._ There will be instances when lots of cool accessories will go together and look amazing, but for someone at your level, don't waste time debating if a bunch of things look good together, just _pare it down."_

Mikan smiled broadly. "I think I'll be good at that rule! My style has always been pretty simple anyway."

"Well, it is the easiest," Sumire conceded. "Lastly, rule number three: when in doubt, _stick to your body's shape and color palette._ I've already talked to you about this before, so do you remember anything I said?"

"Oh… Oh!" A light bulb went off in Mikan's head. "Do you mean how I look especially good in strapless and off-the-shoulder styles? And just because I like a color doesn't mean that it actually looks good on me?"

"Exactly! Good to know that you at least listened to something," Sumire complimented. Taking Mikan by the shoulders, she steered the girl in front of her closet's full length mirror. "Now there are lots of different body types, but since you have a very classically feminine figure, you don't need to worry too much about something looking _bad_ on you. Instead, focus on highlighting your best assets. Most girls— most _women—_ have a part of their body that looks especially nice, something that stands out as their best physical feature. For me, it's my bust and my butt, while Wakako has some of the best legs on the planet." Beside her, Wakako smirked. "You, my friend, have very shapely shoulders and a great back. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with the rest of your body, it just means that your back, neck, and shoulder area has above average visual appeal, so show them off with off-the-shoulder and strapless styles more often than other necklines. It may seem simple, but it can make the difference between you looking so-so and spectacular."

Mikan blushed at her reflection. "No one's ever told me any of that before. Thanks, Permy!"

Wakako snorted with amusement. "So she really does call you that name."

Sumire quirked an eyebrow at her best friend before turning back to the mirror. "The only other thing that I'll note about your body shape is that anything that cinches at the waist is going to do great things for your silhouette. That's true for most women, including you."

"Okay!" Mikan chirped brightly.

Behind them, Wakako took a seat and crossed her legs. "Color palette."

"Yes," Sumire continued, "your color palette. Your eye color, hair, and skin tones are all very warm as opposed to someone like Hotaru-san or Nobara-chan who have cooler tones. Remembering all the details about your color palette can be difficult even for pros, so I'm going to try to make this really simple for you: Stick to warm, earthy tones and avoid pastels like the plague. _Warm_ doesn't mean _dark_. Anyone can wear both light and dark colors, but it's all about the shade. You like bold colors, which is fine if you get the shade right. For example, canary yellow doesn't suit you at all, but a more muted shade of yellow, such as mustard or gold, looks great on you. Similarly, deeper reds like burgundy suit you better than bright, pinky reds; wines suit you better than violets; and medium blues suit you better than light blues. In sum, choose shades that are _deep_ rather than _bright_."

Mikan grinned. "So basically stick to the colors in the clothes that you chose for me."

Sumire smirked. "Exactly."

Wakako laughed. "I can see why you like this girl, Sumire."

Mikan smiled brightly. "I have full confidence in Sumire-chan's fashion sensibilities."

"As well you should because yours are abysmal," Sumire quipped. "Last note on color palette is that gold jewelry suits you better than silver jewelry. Now, quiz time. What are the three fashion rules that you should stick to for 95% of your fashion decisions?"

"Build off neutrals, keep it simple, stick to body shape and color palette."

"Good. What are neutrals?"

"All shades of white, black, and brown, plus navy, olive, and blush."

"How do you keep an outfit simple?"

"By not over accessorizing."

"And what styles should you wear to highlight your body's shape and color tones?"

"Things that show off my back, neck, and shoulders; warm colors; and gold metal."

Satisfied grins appeared on Sumire and Wakako's faces. "Congratulations, Sakura. You pass."

Suddenly, Aoi's voice rang out from the bedroom. "Oi, when are we going to get to see Mikan-nee in an outfit?"

"As soon as she puts one on," Sumire called back. Turning to a drawer, she spoke over her shoulder. "Since the boys are waiting for us, we'll just have you try on the swim suits I sent you."

"You got me new swim suits?" Mikan asked in surprise.

Wakako quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't you look through everything?"

"Not everything. I've just been grabbing what I need when I need it."

"Well, familiarize yourself with your new wardrobe so that you'll know what you have _before_ you need it," Sumire commanded. Turning around, she held up a small assortment of swim suits. Her lips curled upwards to form a crafty smile. "Time to face the crowd, Sakura."

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 **Author's Note:** Sakuradia is pronounced the Japanese way, so the "dia" at the end is pronounced like the English word "dial" (as in to dial a telephone number) without the "L" sound.

Leave me some good reviews for this insanely long chapter! I love detailed reviews that share what you think of the story, the characters, what you're looking forward to, your plot predictions, etc. I also _want_ to hear if you think anything is confusing or annoying or doesn't really seem to work, etc. Thank you all!


	22. Friend of a Friend

**Author's Note:** I worked super hard to get this update out faster than usual as a big thank you to all of the readers who reviewed the last chapter! Grab a snack and a blanket, and get settled in comfortably. This is the single longest chapter of the story so far, so make an event of it and enjoy! (I'll update the Pinterest page as soon as possible. I know that I've been slacking on that lately.)

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Chapter 22: Friend of a Friend

Friday, August 12th, 2016

"Come on, Mikan-nee! Show us!" Aoi called excitedly from her perch on Mikan's bed. From her seat in the white desk chair, Hotaru turned to face the closet as Sumire and Wakako pushed the door open wide.

"Okay, ladies! Swim suit number one!" Sumire announced as Mikan paraded into the bedroom. Aoi immediately began clapping and cheering. Beside her, Nobara's eyes widened before she cracked a smile and joined in the applause.

Mikan dramatically circled the room as she imitated what she thought to be a cliché model walk, pausing to pose and spin around every few feet. The gorgeous Aegean blue swim suit featured an off-the-shoulder bikini top that formed a single wide ruffle all the way around. The matching bottom hit just below her belly button with rows of thin straps forming the sides, showing off the skin of her hips.

"Wow, Mikan-nee! You look incredible!" Aoi gushed.

From beside the closet, Sumire smirked. "That shade of blue is _fantastic_ on you."

Mikan grinned. "Thank you! It's a beautiful swim suit…"

Sensing her hesitation, Sumire quirked an eyebrow. "But?"

Mikan bit her lip. "I don't think I could wear this in front of the guys. It's a bit more… _revealing_ than I'm used to."

Grinning, Aoi wiggled her eyebrows mischievously. "Oh, come on, Mikan-nee, you look sexy! Natsume-nii would _love_ to see you in that." Wide-eyed, Mikan blushed furiously at the idea.

From across the room, Wakako's eyebrows rose. "Natsume-san?"

Nobara gazed curiously at her best friend. "Why would Natsume-nii want to see Mikan-nee in a sexy swim suit?"

Aoi's hand flew to her mouth. She gazed at Mikan guiltily. Hotaru rolled her eyes at the young girl's loose tongue. Quick to pick up on their various reactions, Wakako looked directly at Mikan. "So Natsume-san likes you?" Before Mikan could reply, she continued, "And I see the feeling is mutual."

Mikan tilted her head curiously. "How can you tell?"

Wakako rolled her eyes. "You're blushing like crazy, so of course you like him back. Plus, he's Natsume-san. What single girl _wouldn't_ fall for him if he chose her?"

Mikan grimaced. "You're not wrong, but I am _not_ one of Natsume's silly fan girls. I like him for more important reasons than his good looks or social status." She was surprised to see Wakako smile approvingly.

"I believe that. When Sumire came back from meeting you for the first time, she told me how different Natsume-san was with you and how differently you treated him than other girls do. I'll admit that I was skeptical until her opinion stayed the same after the following summer and now I'm convinced. If she says you two are the real deal, then I accept it."

Crossing her arms, Sumire stepped up beside her best friend and leaned against her shoulder. "They're the real deal alright. I've witnessed Natsume-san say and do things with her that I've only ever _imagined_ him doing with a girl."

Although Mikan's blush deepened at Sumire's observation, she met Wakako's deep purple eyes steadily. "Does that worry you?"

Wakako stared back at her thoughtfully for a moment before waving a well-manicured hand dismissively. "No, it doesn't. Once upon a time, I would have loved for Natsume-san to fall in love with _me,_ but I got over that years ago. He's still the guy I admire and respect most though, so I want him to find happiness with someone. Besides, if there's anything that Natsume-san _isn't,_ it's a fool; there's no _way_ that he would get deceived or manipulated into falling for a girl who didn't truly belong by his side, so if you're the girl he wants, then he deserves a chance to be happy with you." She cocked an eyebrow. "Granted, I only know you based on your reputation with my friends, but based on that, I'm willing to give you a shot."

Mikan grinned cheerfully. "Thank you, Wakako-chan! That means a lot to me. Natsume is so lucky to have so many great friends who care about him and have his back."

Though she tried to disguise it, Hotaru and Sumire both noticed Wakako's pleased blush at the compliment. "Well anyway, if you don't have the confidence yet to wear a swim suit like that in front of the guy you like, then try on another one."

"Okay!" Mikan chirped brightly, dashing back into the closet. While she was gone, Sumire smirked knowingly at Wakako.

"I told you you'd like her."

Wakako sniffed in denial. "Shut up! I just met her; I won't be taken in so easily."

"She's Hotaru-san's best friend. If she can win over the Ice Queen, then you're a goner."

Hotaru hummed. "That logic is faulty. Mikan is loud, hyper, talkative, reckless, headstrong, and a crybaby at times. Obviously she has her good points, too, but not everyone is going to like her. Some might even hate her, which is all the more likely at the academy."

Wakako winced. "Yeah, I'd hate to be her on Monday. How is Natsume-san planning on keeping his rabid fan girls away from her? They're going to go nuts when they find out he got a girlfriend over the summer."

Sumire shook her head. "They aren't boyfriend and girlfriend yet, which frankly I think has nothing to do with their feelings for each other and everything to do with the girls at school. My understanding is that they're going to date privately for the foreseeable future. Like you said, if the true nature of their relationship gets leaked, it'll cause trouble for both Mikan-chan and Natsume-san, so it's up to us to keep their secret."

On the bed, Aoi and Nobara were listening intently to the older girls' conversation. "They'll have to go public at some point though. I can't see Natsume-nii being satisfied with an off-the-books relationship like that for long. His fan girls have always been irritating, but now that they're standing between him and the relationship he really wants to have with Mikan-nee, he'll absolutely despise them," Aoi mused.

"Don't assume that the fault lies entirely with his fans." Hotaru leaned back in the desk chair, her expression confident. "He's doing what he feels is necessary for both of them and his reasons go much farther than a bunch of nasty, spoiled oujo-samas. Ultimately, their relationship is their business. All we have to do is watch their backs."

Nobara smiled, her pretty ice blue eyes shining brightly. "And let them be themselves when it's just us. I'm happy for Natsume-nii and I'm glad that he chose Mikan-nee. I'm hoping for the best for them."

The other girls smiled in agreement. Just then, Mikan emerged from the closet wearing another bikini, this one the same design as the first, but with a fully enclosed bottom that wasn't open on the sides. The top was a rich, deep red while the bottom was black with white polka dots. Mikan grinned.

"I love this one! It's so cute… and a little bit _flirty."_

Sumire smiled in approval. "I thought you'd like this one. It's bold and fun, but the cut suits you really well, so it doesn't look childish. You look like an _attractive teenage girl,_ which is what you are, despite your best efforts to downplay yourself."

Mikan laughed. "I don't try to _downplay_ myself. I just tend to go for comfortable and casual a lot."

Just then, Hotaru stood up from her seat. "If we're done here, then I'm going to go change."

"She still has a few more swim suits, but since she likes this one so much, she can try on the others another time," Sumire conceded.

"The boys are waiting for us, too," Wakako noted.

While Hotaru went to her bedroom, Mikan worked with Sumire and Wakako to put some things in a small overnight bag to take down to the pool house. Everyone would be sleeping there tonight, so she didn't want to have to leave later to come all the way back up to her room. When Hotaru had finished changing into her deep violet, skirted bikini and packing her own overnight bag, the group of girls made their way downstairs. They were chatting happily as they stepped outside into the warm sunshine.

The double doors of the Hyuuga family's pool house stood open wide, allowing easy access to the pool deck for the group of teenage boys who stood around the kitchen island in their swim trunks sipping on drinks and munching on snacks as they waited for the girls to join them. Koko and Kitsu were grinning mischievously at Ruka, who was blushing about something. When Mochu chipped in casually, the pair laughed uproariously, clearly at the blonde's expense. Natsume shook his head in amusement. Beside him, Yo-chan causally leaned against the counter with one hand in his pocket while the other held a cold soda can.

"Hey, here come the ladies!" Koko announced as the girls walked in to join them.

"Alright, let's hit the pool!" Kitsu cheered.

"Some of us still need to put on our swimsuits," Wakako reminded the excited teenager as she headed straight for the staircase. The pool house was comprised of two floors. The ground floor featured a large living and entertaining space with an open concept kitchen and dining area, a single private bedroom with an en suite bathroom, and another full bathroom off of the living room. The upstairs was a large loft with several beds and a large T.V., another full bathroom, and the only other private bedroom, complete with its own en suite bathroom. In total, the pool house could host a fairly large group for overnight stays. Tonight, the boys would sleep downstairs while the girls would stay in the loft.

As the rest of the girls filed in the door and kicked off their shoes, Natsume's eyes zoomed in on Mikan's long waterfall of caramel hair at the back of the group as it glistened in the bright sunlight, highlighting the natural ribbons of gold and honey that ran through it. Although he never moved from his spot leaning against the kitchen counter, his gaze followed her as she came into full view. He felt his pulse quicken as he stared intently, eyes roving her bikini-clad frame as she headed for the staircase with the other girls. The aqua bikini that she normally wore was very sporty with a high neckline. This new red-ruffled off-the-shoulder bikini enticingly showed off her upper chest and shoulders. Along with the usual bare legs and midriff, it was enough to make any hormonal teenage boy feel distracted.

When she reached the loft, Mikan dumped her overnight bag on the nearest empty bed while Hotaru immediately went to claim the top floor's private bedroom. Leaving Aoi, Nobara, Sumire, and Wakako to get changed, Mikan headed back downstairs and straight out to the pool deck, eager to enjoy the summer sunshine. She smiled at the low sound of music playing from hidden speakers. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath as she stretched, relishing the warm sun on her skin.

A firm body bumped softly into her from behind. Turning around, she smiled. "Oh hi, Natsume!" She blinked curiously at the amused look on his face.

"Still wearing polka-dots, I see."

Glancing down at her bikini bottom, Mikan felt her cheeks heat up. With a glare, she placed her hands on her hips and huffed, "These aren't _panties,_ Natsume, it's a _swimsuit."_

Natsume smirked devilishly. "Whatever you say, _Polka-Dots."_

Dropping her arms, Mikan pouted. "You don't like it then? My new swimsuit? Permy picked it out for me and I really like it. I thought maybe you would, too."

"Oh, I do," Natsume murmured, closing the already miniscule distance between himself and the pretty girl. He intentionally gave her a once over before smirking down at her suggestively. "I like it _a lot."_ As expected, she blushed furiously.

"Okay, you don't have to like it _that_ much."

Before he could reply, the rest of the boys and Hotaru came out to join them. With a whoop and a holler, Koko and Kitsu darted past the pair to throw themselves boldly into the pool. Grinning broadly, Mikan leapt in after them. While Ruka and Hotaru headed for some lounge chairs where the blonde could assist his girlfriend with her sunscreen, Natsume, Mochu, and Yoichi made their way over to the diving board and water slide. It wasn't long before they were all goofing off and horsing around together.

A short while later, the rest of the girls emerged from the pool house. Holding hands, Aoi and Nobara quickly ran into the pool, both girls wearing one piece swimsuits with halter necklines. Aoi's was white and covered in red cherries while Nobara's was light blue and skirted.

Hoisting himself out of the pool, Koko grinned broadly at Sumire and Wakako. "Looking good, ladies!" Behind him, Kitsu whistled loudly.

The pair simultaneously rolled their eyes. "Bakas, you've seen us in these swimsuits repeatedly this summer."

"You still look incredible to me, babe," Koko told his girlfriend smoothly as he planted a kiss on her cheek. She smiled smugly, pleased by his show of admiration and affection.

From the pool, Mikan called out cheerfully, "Wow, you guys look amazing! You two could be models! As expected of the fashion queens."

"Thank you," the girls returned, looking flattered. They really did look fantastic. Sumire had pulled her forest green locks back in a short, curly ponytail. Her swimsuit was a black, vintage style bikini with a bust-supporting top and high waist bottom that enhanced her hourglass figure. Beside her, Wakako sported a white one piece swimsuit with a plunging v-neck, a pattern of small midriff cutouts, and high French-cut sides that made her legs go on forever.

"You know, Wakako actually is a model," Sumire informed Mikan, whose eyes widened.

"Wow, really?"

Wakako shrugged as if it was no big deal. "My father owns a modeling agency and my mother is the Editor-in-Chief of _Toyko Vogue._ They occasionally have me pose for photo shoots when they need someone my age, which isn't very often."

Mikan grinned. "That's awesome, Wakako-chan! Even country folks like me have heard of that magazine. Is that what you want to do when you grow up? Be a model?"

"Maybe," Wakako hummed as she followed Sumire towards the shallow end of the pool. "I'm not sure yet whether I want to be in front of the camera or behind it, but I definitely want to work in that industry as a full time career someday."

Mikan smiled, thinking that like Sumire, Wakako seemed very mature for her age and wondered if maybe it was because they'd grown up around their parents' businesses, the same as Natsume and Hotaru.

Now that everyone was present and appropriately dressed for the water, the pool party began in earnest. For the next couple hours, the group hung out in and around the pool, sometimes all together, sometimes splitting off into smaller groups. They took turns jumping off the diving board and going down the water slide. They tossed a ball around and held an underwater handstand contest. They chatted underneath the small waterfall that fell off of a beautiful rock formation in a corner of the shallow end and floated around on inflatable loungers. They wandered in and out of the pool house when they wanted a snack or a drink. For a while, Hotaru, Sumire, and Wakako opted to lay out in the warm sun while Aoi and Nobara took a break in the shade since Nobara burned easily.

Around that time, the boys dragged an inflatable jousting set shaped like logs out of a storage closet on the outside of the pool house. They took turns facing off two at a time, straddling the inflated "logs" and trying to knock each other off with foam jousting sticks. Mikan joined in enthusiastically. She was really enjoying getting to know her friends' friends. Koko and Kitsu were two peas in a pond, a pair of goofballs who were very friendly and full of energy. Although Mochu and Yoichi both emulated Natsume's quiet, serious demeanor, the longer they all played together, the more they cut loose. Mikan especially enjoyed seeing Natsume relaxing and enjoying himself with all of them since she normally only got to see him with Ruka. For his part, Natsume was pleased to see her fitting in so easily with his closest circle of friends, but couldn't stop himself from holding back with her the way he used to. He still wasn't sure whether or not he should reveal his feelings for her to the rest of the gang and didn't want to arouse suspicion until he'd made a decision.

Despite losing repeatedly, Mikan was having fun competing against the boys with the jousting set. When she finally won a match by knocking Kitsu off his log, she squealed excitedly, holding up two fingers in a "V for victory" sign and shouting, "Yes! 10 points for Sakura Mikan!" From the hot tub, Hotaru called for her to come join the girls, who had congregated there to soak and chitchat. Happy to heed her best friend's invitation, Mikan allowed herself to fall sideways off of the inflatable so that she could swim across the pool to the shallow end.

Done with the jousting set for now, the boys hopped out of the deep end for a break. Taking a seat on a nearby lounge chair, Kitsu stared after Mikan pensively until she was out of earshot. "Is she single?"

Ruka and Koko both perked up at the inquiry. "Who?" Ruka asked, glancing at Natsume before exchanging a sly look with Koko.

"What do you mean, _who?_ Mikan-chan, of course! Is she single?"

Koko grinned. "Yeah, she's single."

"Do you think she'd go out with me?"

Ruka laughed. "Dude, you just met her, like, less than three hours ago."

Defensively, Kitsu explained himself. "So? I know everything I need to know— she's cute, nice, funny, and already friends with my friends. As far as I'm concerned, that makes her perfect. I'm not talking about asking her to marry me; I'm talking out asking her out on a date. _So_ do you guys think she'd say yes?"

Natsume's expression remained neutral as Koko and Ruka both stared at him gleefully, biting their tongues to keep from laughing at the situation. "No way, dude," Koko replied at the same time that Ruka said, "Absolutely not."

Offended, Kitsu turned to the two teens. "Why the heck not?"

Koko and Ruka both pursed their lips at him before turning to Natsume with Cheshire grins. Natsume rolled his eyes. They were clearly egging him into a confession. Not wanting Kitsu to wind up in an awkward position with Mikan or her with him, he quickly made his decision.

"Because I have dibs."

Kitsu, Mochu, and Yoichi turned to look at him. A split second later, his meaning dawned on them. Yoichi's eyes widened as Mochu's jaw went slack, his expression dumbfounded. Kitsu practically exploded with shock and delight. _"What?! YOU_ have dibs on _Mikan-chan?"_ As his head swiveled back and forth between his friend and the teenage girl sitting in the distant hot tub, his excitement quickly grew. _"Dude!_ You haven't—I mean—you don't—she's a _girl_ and you don't _like—_ I mean you _do,_ but you don't actually— _DUDE!_ This is _amazing!"_

" _Right?!"_ Koko exclaimed with a grin, coming to sit beside his best friend where he threw his arm around the boy's neck. "I've been _dying_ to tell you, but I was sworn to secrecy."

Kitsu's eyes widened. "You _knew?_ Bro!"

"I know, I know! But it wasn't my secret to share."

"How do you think I've felt all this time?" Ruka chimed in with a laugh. "I've been waiting for them to get together for _years_ and even once they did, I had to stay quiet about it."

"So you're serious?" Mochu asked, watching Natsume's face closely.

Natsume held his gaze unwaveringly. "Yes, I'm serious."

Kitsu's curiosity quickly began to run away with him. "So is she your girlfriend? Or are you dating in secret or something? Did you ask her out or did she ask you out? How long has this been going on? Wait a minute, does she even like you back? _Have you even confessed yet?!"_

Ruka laughed and chucked a water ball at him. "Dude, _chill out_. Give the man a chance to speak."

Natsume chose his words with care. "All you need to know is that to everyone outside of the people here right now, Sakura Mikan and I are just friends. Yes, we're dating, but no, we aren't in an official relationship. You know what my life is like; I can't just date someone without—"

"Incurring the wrath of your rabid fan girls," Mochu interrupted with a frown.

Kitsu gasped in realization. "Of course! If word gets out that you like Mikan-chan as more than just a childhood friend, she'll get—"

"Mauled," Koko finished for him, his tone and expression oddly carefree for such a dark word choice.

Ruka smiled. "If you get it, then you know how important it is to keep this under wraps, so please don't go blabbing about it."

Kitsu threw him a quick salute. "Mum's the word and Bob's your uncle!"

Mochu simply nodded solemnly, his eyebrows still drawn together as he continued to study Natsume's face intently. He was trying to come to terms with his instinctive wariness of unfamiliar girls and his absolute trust in Natsume's judgment. He knew better than to doubt his friend's sincerity; after all, Hyuuga Natsume would definitely never profess to liking a girl unless he was absolutely sure about her. Knowing this, Mochu silently decided to accept Sakura Mikan on his friend's word alone.

"Thank you," Natsume acknowledged the two of them before turning to Yoichi. Calmly, he observed his kohai, who was also one of his little sister's best friends. "You look confused."

The younger boy was frowning in the direction of the hot tub. "Why her? She seems so… _normal._ You could have your pick of any girl in the world if you wanted, so why her?"

Natsume swept his gaze around the group. They were all staring at him with faces full of expectation.

"Because I want _her._ It's not something that can be judged or labeled or quantified or calculated. I don't like Sakura Mikan because she meets anyone's standards or expectations. She's just the one that I want and that's all there is to it."

While the older boys' faces lit up with appreciative smiles, Yoichi merely shrugged. "I don't get it."

Ruka elbowed the preteen with a chuckle. "You'll get it soon enough. Just give yourself another year or two. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up falling for Aoi-chan or Nobara-chan." The boys laughed when Yoichi wrinkled his nose at the idea.

Over at the hot tub, the girls were chatting about the upcoming school year as they enjoyed the warm water. Mikan had just finished sharing her class schedule from memory and was delighted to hear that both Sumire and Wakako would be in her 3rd period Algebra class.

"I'm so excited that we have a class together! I don't have _any_ with Hotaru, and Natsume and Ruka-pyon only share one of my afternoon classes each, so I was worried that I might be all by myself in the mornings."

Wakako grimaced. "I've heard that Jinno-sensei is _super_ strict. They call him Jin-Jin-kara, like he's some kind of math demon."

Mikan winced. "Uh-oh. Math is my worst subject."

Aoi laughed. "Well, that _stinks."_ Grinning, she changed the topic. "So did Natsume-nii say anything about your new swimsuit, Mikan-nee?"

Mikan blushed. "He said that he liked it."

Sumire cocked an eyebrow. "He better like it. My style choice for you is _flawless._ Whenever you need clothes for a special occasion, just let me know and I'll meet you at Eternal Sakura to pick something out for you."

Mikan beamed. "Thanks, Permy!"

Wakako hummed. "We should book a group appointment to pick out our dresses for the Sakuradia together."

Sumire nodded. "It's less than a month away, so the sooner the better in case any of you need alterations done."

Mikan blinked. "The Sakuradia…?"

Beside her, Hotaru spoke up. "It's a fancy dinner for the High School 1st Years."

"Exactly. The High School Division throws a different formal event for each grade during the first weekend in September and the 1st Year formal is called the Sakuradia," Sumire explained. "This year it's being held at the Imperial Hotel and the primary event is a plated dinner. The boys wear tuxes and the girls wear beautiful gowns, so it's important to book your dress early so that you don't end up with something subpar. Traditionally, couples go together as dates, but everyone is welcome regardless. In fact, since the school wants to continuously condition us to know how to handle these types of affairs with the dignity and poise befitting our social status, attendance is practically mandatory." She smiled playfully. "Maybe Natsume-san will ask you to go with him."

Wakako frowned at Mikan's wide-eyed expression. "What's the matter?"

Mikan gulped. "Um… actually…"

Over by the deep end, the boys were sitting around discussing the upcoming soccer tryouts when their attention was captured by the sudden howls of laughter coming from the hot tub. Koko grinned. "Wow, Sumire rarely laughs that hard. I'm gonna go see what's up."

"Me, too," Kitsu added. "I'm always up for a good joke."

The rest of the boys joined them as they made their way across the pool deck. When they got close enough, they saw that Aoi, Sumire, and Wakako were laughing their heads off, Nobara was blushing and giggling, Hotaru was shaking her head in amusement, and Mikan was burying her face in her hands. Plopping down to sit on the side of the hot tub next to his girlfriend, Koko grinned broadly. "What's so funny, ladies?"

Natsume quirked an eyebrow when Hotaru caught his eye with a smirk. He became even more curious when Sumire managed to catch her breath and turned to him instead of Koko. Grinning merrily, she asked in a singsong voice, "Guess who has a date to the Sakuradia?"

Removing her hands from her face, Mikan moaned defensively, "I didn't _realize_ he was asking me on a date! I thought the Sakuradia was some place on campus, like a restaurant in Central Town or something, and he was just offering to show it to me sometime."

Wakako wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "Sumire told me you were the innocent type, but really, how do you end up agreeing to go on a date without even meaning to?"

Natsume's eyes were glued to Mikan as he listened, his mind reeling at the news. _How the hell did she get asked out before the school year has even started?_ Beside him, Koko laughed.

"What? You got asked out to the Sakuradia? And you said _yes?"_

Kitsu grinned teasingly. "Wow, Mikan-chan, you and Natsume only just started dating and you're already cheating on him? For shame!"

Natsume turned to glare at his friend, but before he could say or do anything, Mikan's head whipped towards the boy with a pouty scowl. "Hey, let's get one thing straight; Natsume is _not_ my boyfriend, so I can date anyone I want without it being _cheating."_

Clearly amused at her friend's expense, Hotaru smirked. "That would have been more convincing if you didn't sound so miserable."

Thinking back to what she'd shared with him about her visit to the academy a couple days ago, Natsume made an educated guess. "Was it Tobita Yuu?"

Mikan looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"You said he was the only student you met," Natsume answered. He gazed at her intently as he processed this unexpected turn of events.

Walking around the hot tub to kneel between Mikan and Hotaru, Ruka smiled encouragingly. "Yuu-kun is really nice, Mikan-chan. Just explain to him that accepting his offer was a mistake. He'll understand."

Mikan frowned at him in confusion. "Why would I do that? I'm not going to back out on him."

Across from her, Aoi gaped. "You're actually going to go with him?"

Mikan looked affronted. "Of course I am! He asked me and I said yes. It's not his fault that I didn't know what I was agreeing to."

"Are you serious?" Wakako exclaimed as a fresh round of laughter erupted from the group. Confused, Mikan's shoulders slumped.

Mochu turned to Natsume skeptically. "Is she really this naïve?"

"Absolutely," Natsume responded blandly. Of course she wouldn't back out of the date; she was far too honest and considerate to break her word, even in a situation like this one.

He sighed. Was he okay with her going on a date with another guy? Absolutely not. Was he mad at her? No; like he'd told Mochu, she really was naïve enough to get herself into this type of predicament, so he completely trusted that she hadn't done it on purpose. Was he mad at Yuu for asking out the girl he liked? No, he could honestly say that he wasn't; after all, he could hardly blame the guy for being attracted to her, and truth be told, Natsume thought highly enough of Tobita Yuu to trust that he would treat Mikan with respect during their date. The boy was practically the poster child for good character. Ultimately, the worst part about it all was simply knowing that he wouldn't be able to take Mikan to the Sakuradia himself.

"Well, at least you're bound to have a good time, Mikan-chan. Iinchou is just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet," Sumire said with a grin, unknowingly echoing Natsume's thoughts. "Like you said, Natsume-san isn't your boyfriend, so there's nothing wrong with going to the Sakuradia with Iinchou as just friends."

When Mikan didn't say anything and continued to look deeply disheartened, Natsume decided to take action. No longer trying to hide his feelings for her from anyone currently present, he stepped down into the hot tub and took her hand, dragging her up out of the water. She didn't resist as he led her up onto the pool deck and away from the group.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kitsu called out as they all watched the pair leave.

"To find some privacy," Natsume called over his shoulder. Thinking quickly, he pulled Mikan around the back of the pool house where they would be shielded from the views of both the pool deck and the two mansions. When he was sure that they were far enough away to not be overheard, he turned around to face her. She wouldn't meet his eyes as she stared at the ground. Gripping her shoulder with one hand and placing the other against her cheek, he tilted her face up so that she was forced to look him in the eyes. "I'm not mad."

She merely continued to pout. "Good. At least I can know that I won't hurt _your_ feelings."

Natsume searched her sad amber eyes. "Then what's wrong?"

Mikan sighed heavily. "It's what Ayaka-chan told me that day we helped her family clean-up the rockslide, how I wasn't being considerate of Shinji-kun's feelings for me by inviting him over for dinner as a thank you. She warned me that by naively trying to be nice, I might have actually ended up hurting him by giving him false hope. What if I end up hurting Yuu-kun's feelings the same way? I have no idea if he asked me to be his date because I'm the new girl and he was just trying to be nice or if he actually… I don't know, _liked_ me or felt _attracted_ to me or something, but if that's what it was, then I don't want to lead him on only to disappoint him later. On the other hand, I don't want to back out of the date because that would be hurtful, too. He was so nice to me and he's my first new friend at the academy. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I can't see how to avoid it. Oh, why am I so s _tupid?"_ She moaned in frustration and tried to avert her eyes again.

Natsume released her shoulder so that he could hold her face with both hands. "You're worrying too much. I can't say for sure what he was thinking either, but I've known Tobita Yuu since kindergarten and Shouda is right, he's a genuinely good person. Just be your normal honest self and he'll be fine. Besides, even if he did ask you out because he felt attracted to you, he's met you _once._ Akawa-san has liked you for years, so you can't compare the two. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

Mikan sighed. "I hope you're right."

Natsume smirked. "I'm always right." He was relieved to see her crack a smile at his arrogant jest.

"Okay, _fine,_ I'll assume that you're right, for now at least." After releasing a deep breath, she smiled warmly. "Thanks, Natsume. I needed that pep talk." Pulling away from his hands, she turned back the way they'd come.

Natsume instantly grabbed her arms and pulled her into an embrace. "Where do you think you're going?"

Mikan looked puzzled. "Back to our friends." Her heart tripped when Natsume's lips pulled back in a devious smirk.

"I don't think so. Just because I'm not mad at you for agreeing to go out with some other guy doesn't mean that I like it. How are you going to make it up to me?"

Mikan blushed profusely. "No way, Natsume! I know what 'making it up to you' means and we've kissed a lot already this week."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "We've kissed exactly three times: at the Starlight Lounge, in my room after _Zootopia,_ and in the garden after your visit to the academy. I hardly think three times in a week counts as a lot."

As Natsume held her bikini-clad body against his bare chest, Mikan tried desperately to calm her racing heart. Hugging him was one thing, but all of this skin-to-skin contact was making her feel things she wasn't used to feeling. "It's a lot considering that just a couple months ago we'd never kissed at all. Besides, what if someone comes over here to check on us?"

Natsume snorted. "None of them would _dare."_ He smirked, enjoying himself immensely as Mikan squirmed in his arms. He got an ego boost from knowing that Mikan was so attracted to him that their current position was so obviously affecting her. His racing pulse was proof that the attraction was mutual.

Eyeing the smooth expanse of skin between her chin and bikini top that had been distracting him throughout the party, Natsume changed tactics. "Fine, if you won't kiss me, then I'll kiss you." Ducking his head, he placed his lips against the crook of her neck, instantly eliciting a reaction from her. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she clutched his arms reflexively, her fingers gripping his biceps as she jerked at his sudden, intimate touch.

" _Natsume!"_

Natsume's heart gave an erratic lurch as pure, feral desire twisted in the pit of his stomach. _Kami, this girl is going to make me lose my mind..._ Leaning back, his garnet irises burned into her gold-flecked amber ones as he fought to keep his breathing steady. She looked _so_ tempting as she clung to him, eyes wide and cheeks flushed pink. If they'd been somewhere where their privacy was more guaranteed, he definitely would have tried pushing the boundary with her a little further, but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place for such experimentation. "I'll tell you what, Polka Dots; I'll consider your debt paid in full with that one small kiss if you agree to be _my_ date from now on. No one else's, just mine, any time you need one."

Swallowing, Mikan nodded. She didn't want to speak, too afraid that her voice would squeak. Her whole body was tingling from the sensation of his lips on her neck. When he slowly released his hold on her, she leaned her back against the pool house as she tried to slow her heart rate and calm her breathing. Natsume watched her smugly. Once she felt like she could face their friends again, she smacked his arm before walking away with a huff. A quick grin flashed across his face as he followed her, hands shoved in his swim trunk's pockets.

While Natsume and Mikan were having their private talk, the boys had joined the girls in the large hot tub. When they saw Mikan come around the corner of the pool house looking peeved with a smug Natsume following not too far behind, they exchanged raised eyebrows and curious grins. Without beating around the bush, Hotaru asked the question on everyone's minds. "So did you two resolve things?"

Mikan pursed her lips as she sat down in the warm water, slouching and crossing her arms. Natsume smirked as he took the seat beside her and slung his arm securely around her shoulders. "We came to an understanding." He noted with satisfaction the wide-eyed expressions on Mochu and Kitsu's faces, knowing that the simple act of putting his arm around Mikan served as confirmation for them both that he really was serious about her.

From beside Sumire, Koko grinned and changed the subject, hoping to lighten the mood for Mikan's sake. "Guess what, Mikan-chan! Hotaru-san told us your class schedule and you and I have all of our morning classes together!"

Mikan visibly brightened, uncrossing her arms and sitting up straighter as she smiled. "Really? That's great! That means I'll know someone in every class!"

"That's not all, Mikan-chan," Kitsu piped up. "Mochu and I both have 3rd period Algebra and 5th period History with you, too."

Mikan grinned delightedly. "That's awesome! So I'll know Koko in 1st and 2nd period; Koko, Kitsu-kun, Mochu-kun, Sumire-chan, and Wakako-chan in 3rd period; Natsume in 4th period; and Ruka-pyon, Yuu-kun, Kitsu-kun, and Mochu-kun in 5th period. Lucky!"

Ruka smiled. "We can all eat lunch together, too, Mikan-chan."

"Except for Nobara, Yo-chan, and I, of course, since we're still in the Middle School Division," Aoi corrected.

"Hey, everyone! Are you having fun out here?" Heads spun to see Kaoru-san approaching the hot tub from the back of the Hyuuga mansion. Several servants were headed towards the pool house carrying what appeared to be pizza boxes and restaurant bags. After the teens called out their greetings to Natsume and Aoi's mother, she grinned broadly. "I'm glad you're all having a good time. Dinner is here, so feel free to eat whenever you get hungry. You can take your food anywhere in the pool house or outside, just please throw your trash away when you're done. There should still be plenty of drinks and snacks in the pool house kitchen, so help yourselves. If any of you need to come back in the main house for something, just make sure that you're not dripping wet, okay?"

The teens thanked her as they made their way out of the hot tub and into the pool house. Since the entire building was tiled, they didn't have to dry off super well before going inside. They quickly filled their plates with pizza and chicken wings before settling in various places to eat.

"Let's play karaoke, guys! That way we can all take turns eating and singing," Aoi suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Mikan agreed.

Hotaru was called upon to hook the karaoke machine to the TV. Once it was all set up, Koko and Kitsu abandoned their plates to search through the digital catalogue of songs until they found one they liked. Koko grinned. "Hey, Mikan-chan, you speak English, right? Come sing the girl part for us! This is the perfect song to kick things off!"

Mikan happily left her seat at the dining room table to join the two boys at the front of the living room. She grinned when she saw their selection. "I love this song!"

They each grabbed a microphone and started bopping to the music as "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen began playing through the speakers. After sharing the opening background vocals between the three of them, Koko and Kitsu made a duet out of the first two verses.

" _Woke up on the right side of the bed  
What's up with this Prince song inside my head?  
Hands up if you're down to get down tonight  
'Cause it's always a good time_

 _Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care  
Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere  
I'm in if you're down to get down tonight  
'Cause it's always a good time"_

Brightly, Mikan took over for the female only verse.

" _Good morning and good night  
I wake up at twilight  
It's gonna be alright  
We don't even have to try  
It's always a good time"_

The boys joined back in for the chorus. The trio belted out the lyrics as they danced around energetically.

" _Whoa oh oh oh, whoa oh oh oh,  
It's always a good time  
Whoa oh oh oh, whoa oh oh oh,  
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time"_

Their enthusiastic rendition of the joyful pop song brought smiles and grins to their friends' faces, most of them bobbing their heads and swaying in their seats along with the beat. Even Natsume couldn't hold back his amused smile. Seeing Mikan partying between Koko and Kitsu like they'd known her their whole lives temporarily chased away his worries about her new life in Tokyo. He was happy to be spending time with all of his friends after being apart over the summer and even happier to have Mikan there with them.

Koko, Kitsu, and Mikan held hands for a dramatic bow at the end of the song as their friends applauded them. Next, Aoi and Nobara sang a song by a Japanese pop artist called Kitti Kitty. Mikan laughed heartily at the girls' cute performance, cheering for them both when it was finished. Koko and Kitsu managed to drag all six boys, even Natsume, to the front of the room for a group round of "We Are the Champions" by Queen. After Sumire and Wakako performed a sassy duet of Meghan Trainor's "No," the rest of the girls joined them for "That's What Girls Do" by No Secrets. Mikan fit right in with the tight knit teenagers and was having a blast.

After Koko gave a stellar solo performance of Hellogoodbye's "Here (In Your Arms)" (which he animatedly directed at his girlfriend), he returned the microphone to its stand and rushed to pull Mikan up out of her seat. "Give us a solo, Mikan-chan! Knock our socks off!" Mikan complied with a laugh. As she scrolled through the available songs, "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson caught her eye. Smiling, she selected it and placed her hands around the microphone, taking a deep breath to steady her voice as she scanned the faces watching her from around the room. When her eyes met Natsume's, the emotions naturally filled her voice.

" _Grew up in a small town  
And when the rain would fall down  
I'd just stare out my window  
Dreamin' of what could be  
And if I'd end up happy  
I would pray_

 _Trying hard to reach out  
But when I tried to speak out  
Felt like no one could hear me  
Wanted to belong here  
But something felt so wrong here  
So I pray  
I could breakaway_

 _I'll spread my wings, and I'll learn how to fly  
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky  
And I'll make a wish  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway  
Out of the darkness and into the sun  
But I won't forget all the ones that I love  
I'll take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway"_

The lyrics of her song choice and her heartfelt performance touched Natsume, who recognized that she was trying to convey to him her determination to make the best out of her new life. His affectionate gaze as he watched her gave away the warmth filling his heart. Recognizing the subtle signs of happiness on his best friend's face, Ruka grinned from his seat beside Hotaru.

When she finished, Mikan took a small bow amidst the cheers and applause of her audience.

"That was really good, Mikan-nee!" Nobara complimented.

"Thank you!" Mikan chirped as she skipped back to her seat.

"I totally expected you to choose some happy, hyper, teeny-bopper song, but that was actually pretty soulful. I'm impressed," Sumire confessed before taking a sip from her drink.

"It's because she's so overly emotional that she sounds good no matter what she sings," Hotaru analyzed. "She connects with the audience by going all out without reserve or hesitation, just like Yome. That's why I chose her to be my partner for the talent show in her village all those summers ago. We won first place in our age group."

Mikan laughed. "I remember that! Oh, that was so much fun! How old were we, eight?" Hotaru nodded.

As Mikan polished off the last chicken wing on her plate, Wakako addressed the group as a whole. "Are we planning on swimming anymore tonight? If not, I'd like to shower and change."

The group unanimously voted to go ahead and get cleaned up. While the boys took turns playing Mario Cart and showering in the two downstairs bathrooms, the girls made use of the loft level's two bathrooms. Sumire and Wakako went first, followed by Mikan and Hotaru. When Mikan exited the bathroom, she saw Sumire and Wakako sitting on one of the beds in their pajamas with light green paste smeared all over their faces.

"What is this? Attack of the aliens?" she asked with a grin.

Sumire smirked. "These are hydrating face masks. We brought enough for everyone. Come here." She shifted over on the bed to make room. Mikan happily hopped up and remained still as Sumire carefully spread the floral smelling substance around her face, avoiding her eyes and mouth. Wakako did the same for Hotaru. When Aoi and Nobara joined them after showering, they also received the special treatment. The six girls chatted and brushed each other's hair while the face masks set. After twisting their wet hair up into towels on top of their heads to dry, they made their way downstairs to the kitchen for drinks. The boys looked up from the couches and chairs surrounding the TV to ogle them.

"Look out! It's the invasion of the coney-headed green people!"

Sumire rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Haha."

Koko grinned. "Don't worry, Permy, I still love you no matter what color you choose to be."

Ignoring the girls giggling around her, Sumire huffed. "Don't you start calling me that, too. It's bad enough that Sakura can't keep my name straight."

Mikan laughed. "Oh come on, Sumire-chan, you call me by two names, too— half the time it's Mikan-chan and the other half it's Sakura."

Sumire sniffed. "Well at least those are your _real_ names," she defended, acknowledging that she switched between the two forms of addressing her friend. "How would you like it if I started calling you 'Polka Dots' like Natsume-san?"

Mikan's blush would have been noticeable if not for the green mask covering her face. Before she could answer, Wakako quirked an eyebrow. "Why _does_ he call you that?"

"It's just a nickname," Mikan hurriedly answered. Wakako and Sumire both looked suspicious when Aoi giggled and Hotaru smirked knowingly. "Let's go wash these masks off so we can join the boys again," Mikan quickly suggested, turning to run up the stairs in order to avoid the previous topic. The girls set down their drinks and followed her back to the loft.

When the girls finally came back downstairs looking normal again in their pajamas and slippers, they filled in the empty seats among the boys. Natsume was quick to grab Mikan's hand and pull her down next to him as she was choosing a seat. She smiled as she got comfortable next to him. She looked cute in a pair of blue plaid pajama shorts and a white, lace-trimmed tank top.

They all watched as Ruka, Mochu, Kitsu, and Yoichi finished their current race on the video game. When they finished, resulting in Yoichi grandly defeating his three senpais, Ruka turned off the console. "So what would everyone like to do next?"

"Let's play Truth or Dare," Wakako suggested slyly. She obviously had a hidden agenda up her sleeve, but nonetheless, her suggestion was quickly backed up by Koko, Kitsu, and Aoi before being approved by the rest of the group.

"Let's make it fair though and play Spin the Bottle: Truth or Dare," Sumire suggested.

"What's that?" Mikan questioned her curiously.

"When it's your turn, you spin the bottle and whoever it points to when it stops is the person you ask 'truth or dare' to," she explained. "That way it's left up to chance and no one gets singled out."

"Since it was my suggestion, I'll go first," Wakako announced before spinning an empty glass bottle in the center of the coffee table. When it came to a stop in Mikan's direction, she set her scheme into motion. "Okay, Mikan-chan, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Mikan responded.

Wakako smirked victoriously. "Where does the nickname 'Polka Dots' come from?"

Aoi laughed out loud as Wakako's plan became apparent. Mikan's face instantly turned a deep shade of pink. Beside her, Natsume rolled his eyes and smirked in amusement at her expense. "Go ahead, _Polka Dots._ Tell her why I call you that."

Mikan glared at him, eliciting curious looks from some of their friends. Ruka bit his tongue to keep from laughing, knowing that this particular topic was a sore spot for Mikan. "He calls me that because he's a _pervert._ My skirt flew up when I tripped once when we were five and he nicknamed me after the print on my panties." Thoroughly embarrassed, she punched Natsume in the chest at the infuriatingly self-satisfied look on his face.

Jaws instantly dropped around the room as shock filled several of their expressions. Koko, who had already known the truth behind the nickname, nearly died laughing. Kitsu was also cracking up as he shook his head at Natsume from several seats away. "Holy shit, dude, that _is_ perverted. I had no idea you had it in you." Sumire and Wakako both had their hands clasped to their mouths as they stared wide-eyed, completely caught off guard by the explanation.

"Wow, Mikan-chan, no _wonder_ you try to keep it a secret," Wakako cackled.

Mikan's lips pouted cutely.

"Okay, my turn," Mochu called, reaching out to spin the bottle. When it pointed to Nobara, he asked, "Truth or dare?"

"Umm… dare," Nobara chose, clasping her hands together nervously as she tried to be brave.

Mochu frowned as he tried to think of a dare that wouldn't seem too harsh for the younger girl. "Okay, try juggling three eggs."

Aoi laughed at the wide-eyed look on her best friend's face. Smirking, Yoichi ran to the kitchen to grab three raw eggs from the fridge. The group smiled as they watched the poor girl try slowly to toss the eggs in the air and catch them, starting with two before attempting three. She managed to catch and re-toss each egg once before dropping one, immediately dropping the other two along with it as she squealed in surprise. The teenagers laughed heartily as the eggs splattered spectacularly on the floor.

Yoichi, Aoi, and Mochu helped Nobara quickly clean up the mess before Hotaru spun the bottle to continue the game. She dared Kitsu to only speak backwards for ten minutes. Next, Ruka had Mochu reveal that he sometimes sings in the shower, which the muscular boy confessed with a shrug. Nobara gently spun the bottle next, identifying Mikan as the next contestant. When Mikan chose "dare," Aoi excitedly whispered in Nobara's ear. The girl's eyes widened before she giggled. "Okay, Mikan-nee, sing Natsume-nii a song on the karaoke machine."

Beside her, Aoi snorted with glee as she clarified, "A _love_ song."

Mikan's jaw dropped before she buried her face in her hands. "It's a conspiracy! You all just want to embarrass me to death with this game, don't you?" Beside her, Natsume shook his head at his little sister in amused exasperation.

Kitsu laughed. "Oh, come on, Mikan-chan! You were great at karaoke. Melt the immovable Prince Natsume's heart!"

Natsume rolled his eyes as the group laughed. He didn't mind their teasing as long as it stayed lighthearted like this. When Mikan peeked at him from between her fingers, he simply cocked an eyebrow at her expectantly. Realizing that he wasn't going to do anything to help her out of this situation, she sighed exaggeratedly as she stood up and trudged over to the TV screen.

When the karaoke machine powered back on, the home screen showed "Recommendations" based on recently played songs. She blinked. There was the perfect song right before her eyes. Grinning, she made the selection and grabbed one of the microphones. If she had to do this, she might as well go all out.

As the music to Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You" began to play, Mikan smiled flirtatiously, fluttering her eyelashes at Natsume.

 _I really wanna stop but I just got the taste for it  
I feel like I could fly with the boy on the moon  
So honey, hold my hand, you like making me wait for it  
I feel like I could die walking up to the room, oh yeah_

 _Late night watching television  
But how'd we get in this position_

She shook her head impassionedly, as if she believed in every word she sang.

 _It's way too soon, I know this isn't love_

She leaned towards him and smiled coyly, as if sharing a secret.

 _But I need to tell you something_

Her smile nearly split her face as she put her whole heart into the chorus, bobbing and swaying with the song.

 _I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?  
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?_

 _Oh, did I say too much?  
I'm so in my head  
When we're outta touch (outta touch)  
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?_

Her audience was highly entertained as the completely relaxed Hyuuga Natsume, unattainable heartthrob, was serenaded by the highly emotive, animated teenage girl.

 _It's like everything you say is a sweet revelation  
All I wanna do is get into your head  
Yeah, we could stay alone, you and me and this temptation  
Sipping on your lips, hanging on by a thread, baby_

 _Late night watching television  
But how'd we get in this position  
It's way too soon, I know this isn't love (no)  
But I need to tell you something_

 _I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?  
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?_

 _Oh, did I say too much?  
I'm so in my head  
When we're outta touch (when we're outta touch)  
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you  
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?_

She walked over to plop down beside him on the loveseat, gazing deeply into his garnet irises as her voice softened.

 _Who gave you eyes like that, said you could keep them?  
I dunno how to act or if I should be leavin'  
I'm running outta time, going outta my mind  
I need to tell you something, yeah, I need to tell you something_

Grinning mischievously during a pause in the background music, she leaned towards him and spoke normally without the microphone.

"I like you, Natsume."

He smirked. "I picked up on that, Polka Dots."

Happily, Mikan belted out the next lyric as she danced her way back to the TV. After singing the chorus a couple more times, her performance ended. Her friends clapped enthusiastically. Smiling brightly, she bobbed a quick bow before returning the microphone to its stand. When she sat down, she swung her legs onto Natsume's lap and leaned back against the arm of the loveseat. He appeared relaxed and content as he rested his arms on her legs.

"Damn," Mochu muttered from across the room, his eyebrows knit together seriously.

"What?" Natsume asked casually.

Mochu shrugged. "You really do like her, that's all. We've spent so many years watching you dodge every girl that comes your way that it's just… _different_ seeing you treat a girl special. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you, it's just going to take some getting used to."

Mikan grinned. "Aw, am I special, Natsume?" she teased cutely.

He didn't answer, but cocked an eyebrow as he smirked and reached a hand out to flick her nose. Her hands flew up to protect it. "Ow!" She narrowed her eyes before rolling them and relaxing again with a shake of her head.

It was Aoi's turn to spin the bottle. When it came to a stop in front of Hotaru and the stoic girl chose "truth," the preteen grinned. "Okay, since we've been picking on Mikan-nee and Natsume-nii for awhile, it seems only fair to embarrass another couple. Hotaru-nee, do you _love_ Ruka-nii?"

Beside his girlfriend, Ruka looked surprised by the question, but before he could object to such a personal inquiry, Hotaru responded blandly, "Of course I love him. We've been a couple for three years; if I hadn't figured out if I love him or not after so long, I'd be an idiot."

Mikan laughed as Ruka's cheeks turned pink. "Well, you definitely aren't an idiot, Hotaru, so it must be love!"

Yoichi was getting a bit sick of all the love talk, so without hesitation, he strode up to the coffee table to spin the bottle. It landed on Sumire, who quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly. When she chose "dare," he tried to get her to jump in the pool with her clothes on, but the others rejected the idea since it would take her so long to shower and change again, so he settled for having her eat a spoonful of ketchup. She gagged on the sickly sweet condiment, immediately heading upstairs to brush her teeth when she finished. She glared at Yoichi when she came back downstairs several minutes later.

On Natsume's turn, he dared Koko to act like Sumire for five minutes. Koko's mimicry of his girlfriend was spot on and hilarious, even to her. Next, Mikan asked Yoichi to name his greatest fear, which he promptly confessed was the idea of his friends and family dying. Mikan smiled sadly at the younger boy's answer.

"Yeah, that's definitely scary. You think you can't live without someone until they're gone and you're forced to learn just how much loss the human spirit can actually survive."

Yoichi frowned, his teal eyes questioning how she knew that. Aoi softly told him, "Mikan-nee's parents died when she was small, remember?"

His eyes widened in realization. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that."

Mikan's gold-flecked amber eyes shone brightly. "I still have Jii-chan though."

Aoi grinned. "I love Sakura-ojii-san!"

Nobara tilted her head curiously. "What about your mother's parents?"

"Jii-chan _is_ my mother's father. His wife, my grandmother, died before I was born."

Wakako looked puzzled. "Now that doesn't make any sense. Why do you have the same family name then? Shouldn't you have your father's family name?"

Mikan smiled. "My parents already had the same family name before they got married."

Sumire appeared thoughtful. "I've heard of that happening. Sakura is a really common family name, after all."

Mikan nodded. "Jii-chan told me that my parents used to say that they were fated to fall in love, bound by the red string of destiny." Grinning, she held up her hand and wiggled her pinky.

"So what about your father's parents?" Sumire questioned.

Mikan shrugged. "I never met them. Jii-chan said that they both passed away before my parents got married, and since my father was an only child, Jii-chan is the only family I have left. To be honest, I don't even know what my father's parents looked like or even what their names were. Jii-chan doesn't know much about them and I was too young when my parents died to remember anything they ever said about them." She smiled. "It's your turn, Kitsu-kun."

After Kitsu dared Natsume to drink a spoonful of hot sauce (which the teen accomplished as if it were nothing), Koko spun the bottle and ended up making Ruka sing and dance to "Barbie Girl" by Aqua. Hotaru made sure to record the performance on her cell phone. Sumire was the last person to get a turn and when her bottle landed on Mikan, the caramel-haired teenager gaped.

" _What?!_ That's the _third_ time it's landed on me. That bottle is _rigged."_

Sumire smirked. "It's just your bad luck, Sakura. So what'll it be: truth or dare?"

"Well, I'm not doing a dare again after that last one, so truth."

Sumire smirked, glancing from Mikan to Natsume and back again. "Have you and Natsume-san kissed yet?"

Mikan pressed her lips together as her cheeks grew warm. She purposefully refused to look at Natsume, who was observing the exchange and making his own mental calculations. He caught Hotaru's eye when he saw that she was looking at him knowingly rather than at Mikan.

"That's not a valid question since it involves someone else's secrets," Mikan tried to deflect the question.

Natsume rolled his eyes, not entirely surprised by her response. "Yes, Shouda, we've kissed."

The collective response was instantaneous. Mikan's blush grew darker as Sumire's eyebrows rose appreciatively at Natsume's honesty. Several mouths dropped open in either pleased or embarrassed surprise. Koko and Kitsu were grinning broadly, looking for all the world like they were watching their favorite soap opera unfold.

Ruka's face was the picture of comical astonishment. "When did this happen?!"

Although he was looking at Natsume, Mikan was the one who answered him. "During the summer, the week you and Hotaru were in Hong Kong," she admitted sheepishly.

Ruka rounded on Natsume again, his voice dripping with exaggerated indignation. "You bastard! I wasted so much time worrying that the two of you would never get together and here you've been even closer than I thought. What the hell have I been troubling myself for?"

This was kind of fun, so Natsume decided to make it worse. He smiled innocently, which caught his best friend completely off guard. "Don't look at me. I didn't do it."

Mikan froze. One by one, confused pairs of eyes moved from Natsume to Mikan. Sumire was the first to speak, her tone suspicious. "Who exactly kissed who first?"

Mikan was dying of embarrassment. She couldn't believe that Natsume had brought this up in front of everyone, yet it was just like him to tease her. Slowly, timidly, her crimson face looking down to avoid eye contact, Mikan raised her hand.

The room exploded with shock and laughter.

"Not bad, Sakura," Sumire complimented, clearly impressed. "I never would have thought you had it in you."

"Taking down the king in one fell swoop! You go, girl!" Kitsu hollered.

Koko wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, not just from the unexpected revelation, but also from the dumbfounded look on Ruka's face. Natsume sat there smugly as Mikan buried her face in her hands.

Wakako was floored and blurted out in shock, "You raped Natsume-san's virgin lips?!"

Mikan's head whipped up to stare at Wakako in horror. "I… I didn't… I mean… it wasn't like… I didn't _mean_ to…"

Her panicked tone was enough to finally make Natsume feel sorry for her. Deciding to come to her rescue, he tossed out casually, "I _tried_ to kiss her first, but Ruka ruined it."

" _WHAT?!"_ the blonde teen exploded, his mouth agape. "What are you talking about?!"

Natsume smirked. "The morning that Mikan and I ran into each other on the mountain before going to Ono-san's farm to ride the horses, I was trying to kiss her when you called to tell me to meet you there."

Hotaru watched her boyfriend in amusement as he sank back into the couch cushions. He looked completely astonished. "You're telling me that you were trying to get together with Mikan-chan even _before_ we left you two alone for a week?"

Natsume couldn't keep the self-satisfaction off of his face. "I kept telling you to leave it alone and let me do my own thing at my own pace." He turned to meet Mikan's gaze when he noticed her looking at him.

She blinked. "You tried to kiss me? I didn't know that."

"Of course not, Polka Dots; Ruka interrupted me."

From between Koko and Wakako, Sumire leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, propping her chin in her hands. "You two are a lot farther along than I thought you were. If Natsume-san's fan girls find out about any of this, Sakura, you're a goner."

"Then let's make sure they don't find out," Natsume warned.

Hotaru crossed her legs and leaned against Ruka's side. "Those idiots will jump to enough conclusions on their own that it won't even matter if they know the truth. The important thing is to break their will to try doing anything about it."

Mikan frowned. "I don't want to break anybody's anything. You all keep warning me that Natsume's fan girls are all so terrible, but I don't think that liking Natsume is a crime in and of itself, so I'm only going to judge them based on their individual words and actions."

Yoichi gazed blandly at the older girl. "Good luck with that."

Just then, Hatsuharu-san walked in the open double doors of the pool house.

"Otou-san!" Aoi squealed excitedly as she rushed to give her father a hug. He smiled above her head.

"Hello, sweetheart. Okay guys, school starts on Monday, so light's out in one hour. Just a reminder, no boys upstairs, please."

"Yes, sir," the group chorused. A quick chat revealed that pretty much everyone wanted to chill in front of the TV for the remainder of the evening. Since an hour was too short to watch a movie, they opted to watch entertaining internet videos via an app on the TV. There was ice cream in the freezer for dessert, so after serving themselves, they shut off the lights and got comfortable with pillows and blankets as the first video began.

Mikan snuggled next to Natsume on the loveseat, laughing hysterically at the clip of a comedian auditioning on a reality competition show. Beside her, Natsume took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relishing the freedom to be openly close to her around his friends. It felt as if Mikan was solidly part of the gang now and knowing that his friends had her back gave him courage for the upcoming school year.

Alice Academy was waiting.

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 **Author's Note:** YOU GUYS! THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS INCLUDED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! AH!


	23. So It Begins

**Author's Note:** I only made it through half of the first day of school before realizing that I needed to split the first day into two chapters, so the rest will be in Chapter 24. I ask for your patience as we've all been waiting 22 chapters for Mikan's first day at Alice Academy to arrive, so I want to really do it justice and not rush it just for the sake of keeping it down to one chapter. Also, the Pinterest page is up to date and I highly recommend following it for all the great pics. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 23: So It Begins

Saturday, August 13th, 2016

Mikan abruptly awoke from her sleep, disoriented and breathing heavily. Disturbed, she quickly sat up to look around. She recognized the loft of the pool house and saw the silhouettes of the other girls lying fast asleep in their beds. Quietly, she stretched up to glance over the edge of the loft's half-wall behind the head of her bed and saw the boys down below scattered over the furniture with blankets and pillows. She checked her phone and saw that it was just after 4 a.m. Hunkering back down under the covers, she tried to calm her racing heart. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, she still couldn't shake the jittery, anxious feeling that had taken hold of her. Giving up, she silently crawled out of bed, stepped into her slippers, and snuck down the nearby staircase. She needed comfort and she knew just where she wanted to find it.

When she made it to the door of the only private bedroom on the ground floor, she carefully twisted the knob so as not to disturb any of the boys in the living room. As soon as she stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her, she saw that Natsume was already propped up on one arm to see who had entered. She quickly crossed over to the bed and climbed in as Natsume held the covers back for her.

"What's the matter, Polka Dots?"

Snuggling close in his willing embrace, she released a shaky breath. "I had that nightmare again, the one about my parents' accident."

Natsume sighed. "Shit..."

To his knowledge, it had been a long time since Mikan had last had that particular nightmare, though she'd had it more often when she was younger. Sometimes she dreamed that she was in the car with them and other times she saw it from the sidelines, but each time she would see their car driving along the mountainous highway before sharply veering off course and crashing horrifically. They'd been on a trip to celebrate their five year wedding anniversary when it had happened. Mikan had been at home with her grandfather, so she hadn't actually witnessed the accident that claimed their lives, but her mind supplied her with a vivid depiction of it nonetheless.

No further words were exchanged between the two friends. None were needed. Natsume simply held her close and rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles. Mikan closed her eyes and felt her tension gradually dissipate. By the time she had completely calmed down, she was too sleepy to resist and was soon slumbering peacefully in Natsume's arms.

The next thing she knew, she was awoken by the alarm on Natsume's phone going off. She blinked in the dim light of early morning that glowed softly behind the blinds on the window. Natsume reached to shut off his phone on the nightstand before snuggling back against her. Closing her eyes again, Mikan murmured, "What time is it?"

"Six."

She scrunched up her nose. "What do you need to do at six in the morning?"

"Work out."

"Mmm… but it's Saturday."

"Which means soccer tryouts are only one week away."

She smirked. "You've worked out almost every day all summer long. Surely missing one session won't affect your performance."

"Discipline, Polka Dots." She opened her eyes and saw that Natsume was studying her face, his expression amused. "I thought you weren't going to sleep with me in a real bed in a real bedroom yet."

Mikan pursed her lips. "This doesn't count. I spent the night upstairs and only came in here a little while ago. Besides, I had a nightmare," she justified. Her lips curved upwards in an impish smile. "If it bothers you though, I won't do it again."

Tightening his arms around her waist beneath the covers, Natsume smirked. "So if it _doesn't_ bother me, will you start sleeping with me _every_ night?"

Mikan rolled her eyes before brushing his long black bangs out of his face. "As tempting as that offer is, Natsume, you'll have to marry me before you get that privilege. I know we've become a lot more intimate with each other, but I still consider myself to be pretty conservative. Besides, I'd like to still be able to look Jii-chan in the eyes next time I see him."

Natsume chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He gazed at her fondly, enjoying the moment. Although seeing her interact with all of his friends last night had been very pleasant and revealing his feelings for her to them had been more freeing than he would have anticipated, none of it could top the feeling of holding her like this in the warmth of the covers and calm of the early morning hours. The soft, affectionate look in her eyes and the comfortable, trusting way that she snuggled close to him drew his heart to her like a moth to a flame.

Natsume found his eyes wandering from her face to the curve where her neck met her shoulder, left bare by her white tank top's thin straps. His mind tantalized him with the memory of her response to his kiss there yesterday. He swallowed, noting the slight increase in his heart rate. Unlike before, they were all alone now in a locked room at an hour that everyone else was likely still asleep. There was privacy, there was comfort, and there was certainly no lack of desire. His garnet eyes returned to hers, searching their amber depths. All he saw reflected back at him was peace and happiness.

With no incentive to resist, he gently pressed his lips to hers, taking slow, shallow sips of her smile. He was in no rush as he savored her sweet taste. Her lips were soft and smooth and matched his movements perfectly. His heart nearly burst at the open, receptive way that she kissed him back, their emotions perfectly in tune. He felt one of her hands grip the front of his pajama top while the other glided over his bicep, then along his shoulder, then up the back of his neck until her fingers slid into his hair. He smiled when he heard and felt her sigh blissfully, infinitely pleased that she was also enjoying herself.

As the seconds ticked by, Natsume felt his stomach muscles tighten as stronger urges began to grow inside him. His kisses became firmer and longer as his need for her grew. Brushing her long hair aside and sliding one arm under her neck, he rolled over so that Mikan was lying on her back and he was completely on top of her, the covers shielding them both from the morning air.

Mikan felt a thrill course through her veins at the sudden change of position. She could feel the weight of Natsume's warm body on top of her and found herself instinctively clinging to him rather than pushing him away. While one hand stayed at the back of his head, the other hooked under his arm to grip his shoulder, hugging him to her. She felt his hand caress her cheek as they kissed before his fingers traveled down her neck and over her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She couldn't contain the moan that rose up from the back of her throat. Her whole body seemed to be coming alive in ways that weren't familiar to her yet, leaving her feeling heady with desire.

Not for the first time, Natsume found kissing Mikan to be an intoxicating experience. Being with her like this, alone and all wrapped up in each other's arms, the feelings he kept so closely guarded around other people filled his heart and mind, nearly consuming his conscience. He was vividly aware of every shift of her body beneath him and every sound that came from her. When after a short while she moaned against his lips, he felt something shatter deep inside him. His head snapped back as he cursed out loud, breathing heavily as he gazed darkly into her amber eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she held his stare, transfixed by the swirl of intense emotions in his garnet eyes. He gripped the bed sheet tightly as he fought to resist temptation, inexperience both heightening his desire and making him weak against it. In the back of his mind, he could hear his mother's voice warning him, _Once you cross a line, it's very difficult to go back and very easy to be tempted forward._

Determined to maintain his sense of self-control, Natsume forcibly slowed his breathing and relaxed his tense muscles. After a minute, he swallowed hard. "Okay, you're right. No real beds, for now at least."

As her heart rate came back down to normal, Mikan grinned cheekily. "I told you so."

Smirking, Natsume quickly kissed her forehead before rolling off of her and out of bed. "You really are going to be the death of me one of these days."

"That's such a morbid phrase," Mikan whined as she, too, sat up. "I'd rather drive you insane," she teased as she slid her feet into her slippers.

"You're already doing that."

Natsume stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched her closely. There were no two ways about it; he had just made out with Sakura Mikan. He could tell himself that similar instances had only been kissing, but this time definitely constituted a real, true make-out session. Now that the thrill had worn off a bit, he found his analytical mind recalling past events; Akawa Shinji brushing her hair out of her face as she slept on her back porch… the punk in Owase grabbing her bruised arm as she stood up to him… Kimura Kenta's wandering eyes as he held her closer than necessary at the Starlight Lounge… Kitsu considering asking her out after only knowing her for a few short hours… the news that Yuu had already asked her out and she'd unwittingly accepted…

"Mikan."

At the sound of her name, Mikan turned to see Natsume gazing solemnly at her. His tone was serious as he came around the bed to stand in front of her. "You put yourself in a vulnerable position by coming in here and climbing into bed with me, which is fine because you trust me and our feelings for each other are mutual." He leaned down to look her straight in the eyes, his tone uncompromising. _"Do not_ put yourself in such a vulnerable position with other guys, if you can possibly avoid it. I'm willing to let Yuu-san escort you to the Sakuradia because I trust him, but if someone ever tries to do a _fraction_ of what I just did to you, I will _not_ be so relaxed about it."

Mikan blushed. "Is that your way of saying that you'll protect me if you need to, but you'd rather not need to?"

Natsume smirked. "Close enough."

Grinning, Mikan stretched up on her toes to place a quick peck on Natsume's lips. "Okay. Thank you. Now come on, let's go work out! I've been getting a bit sluggish since moving here, so I'll join you."

The pair snuck quietly through the house and out the door, careful not to awaken the others. They walked hand in hand across the pool deck in the soft, early morning light before parting ways to change into workout gear and meet back up in the Hyuuga's home gym.

An hour and a half later, they strode into the pool house to find their friends in various stages of getting up. By the time they showered and changed out of their sweaty workout clothes, breakfast had been sent over from the main house and they all enjoyed a casual meal together. Shortly after, the residents bid farewell to their guests as each of their respective rides came to pick them up.

Mikan spent the final two days of summer vacation happily. Following Sumire's instructions, she went through her closet to familiarize herself with her new clothes and accessories. She talked to her grandfather at length, telling him all about her new friends and listening to him describe what new things were happening at the temple. When Ruka surprised Hotaru with a date on Saturday night, Mikan excitedly helped her best friend choose an outfit and wished the pair a great time as they left. At his suggestion, she exercised with Natsume again on Sunday morning to keep her freshly worked muscles limber. Later, she joined Hotaru and Aoi in the younger girl's room to repaint their nails for the first day of school, their manicures from Monday's trip to the spa having begun to chip and peel. That night, both families came together for their traditional night-before-school-starts dinner on the Hyuuga's second story terrace overlooking the backyard. Even Tohru-san and Hatsuharu-san made sure to be home for the meal and presented all of their children, including Mikan, with brand new Imai Tech laptops for school. They all had a wonderful time before the young ones were sent to bed early so they could be well rested for the following day.

As Mikan was preparing for bed, her phone rang. When she saw that it was Natsume calling, she grinned and skipped over to her window. Throwing it open, she saw that sure enough, Natsume was leaning on his own windowsill as he held his phone to his ear.

"Hi, Natsume!"

"Hi, Polka Dots."

They simply stared at each other for a moment before Natsume finally spoke again. "About tomorrow… Just be yourself, okay? It's better for us to hide what we really have between us for now, but I have no intention of pretending to not even be friends in front of other people just because some obnoxious girls might not like it."

Mikan's eyes shone brightly. "I get it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a _tiny_ bit nervous about meeting these crazed fan girls I keep hearing about, but I'm Sakura Mikan and I don't know how to be anybody else but me, so all I can do is wait to see how other people will take that."

Natsume couldn't help admiring her. "I never said you didn't have guts, Polka Dots. Just remember that I have your back and I'm not the only one who does. If you're uncertain about a situation, stick to one of our friends. You don't have to deal with anything alone."

"Okay. If I need help, I promise to ask for it, but could you promise me something, too? Try to let me handle things on my own as much as possible. I intend to stand my ground no matter what comes my way, so try your best to let me fight my own battles, okay?"

Natsume hesitated. "I'll try."

Mikan gave him a brilliant smile. "Thank you. Goodnight, Natsume! I'll see you in the morning!"

"Goodnight, Polka Dots."

* * *

Mikan glanced at herself one last time before turning away from the full length mirror in her closet and heading out the door, grabbing her brown leather school satchel on the way. She had surprised Natsume that morning by showing up in the Hyuuga's home gym at 6 a.m. to work out with him for the third day in a row. She was used to rising with the sun anyway and figured that she could use the exercise since her life had become more sedentary than back home in Makikawa. She also couldn't deny that starting her day by seeing Natsume was nice; even if they weren't directly interacting very much, just being near one another was pleasant. After their workout, she'd returned to her room to shower and change into her new school uniform. She looked quite fetching in the short-sleeve white blouse, black neck ribbon, yellow plaid skirt, white knee-high socks, and black Mary Jane's of the High School Division girl's uniform. After pulling her hair away from her face with a new white ribbon and putting on her mother's pearl earrings and Natsume's ring for good luck, she declared herself ready to face the day ahead.

After breakfast with Hotaru, Saki-san, and Tohru-san, the two girls joined Natsume, Ruka, and Aoi in the driveway. As Mikan came prancing down the front steps of the Imai mansion, Natsume's gaze swept over her appreciatively; no matter how nervous he was about today, he couldn't help thinking that she looked very cute in _his_ school's uniform with _his_ ring once again on her finger. She grinned at the sight of him and Ruka wearing matching boy's uniforms identical to the one that Yuu had worn during her campus tour— white short-sleeve dress shirts, yellow ties, yellow plaid slacks, black belts, and black shoes. Other than the blue plaid skirt denoting the Middle School Division, Aoi's uniform was identical to the older girls'.

The group waved to their parents, then headed off to school. Ruka and Hotaru walked hand-in-hand with their respective best friends beside them and Aoi on the end next to Mikan. As they stepped through the front gate and onto the sidewalk, Aoi grinned excitedly.

"This is it, Mikan-nee! Your first day at Alice Academy! It's really here!"

"I know!" Mikan laughed. "I'm so excited!"

As they made it farther and farther down the street, they began to see other students wearing Alice Academy uniforms leaving their homes and heading in the same direction. When they got close enough, Mikan saw a long line of cars dropping students off in the turnaround in front of the school's main gate, which stood open wide as students passed through. As soon as their group walked past one of the East Gate's security guards and onto the school grounds, Aoi squeezed Mikan's hand.

"I always meet up with Nobara and Yo-chan by the South Gate so that we can walk to the Middle School Division together, so this is where I'll say goodbye. I hope you have a great time today, Mikan-nee! I'll see you after school!"

"You, too, Aoi-chan!"

Mikan waved to her younger friend before continuing down the path that would take them past the Administrative Building and on to the High School Division. Beside her, Hotaru's keen eyes noticed that several students nearby had already stopped to stare at Mikan, likely wondering about the unknown girl who seemed so familiar with Hyuuga Natsume's little sister. A quick glance at Natsume's clenched jaw told the violet-eyed genius that he'd also picked up on their mutual friend's spectators.

Oblivious to the attention that she was receiving, Mikan gazed about as they went. The campus was bustling with students, teachers, staff, and visitors, so she made sure to stick close by Hotaru's side. She blinked curiously when a small cluster of girls spotted them and hurried over to greet them.

"Good morning, Natsume-sama!"

The high school girls bowed to a stone-faced Natsume before turning to smile at his companions. "Good morning, Ruka-san, Imai-sa—" Their voices suddenly cut off as if sliced by a sharp knife, their happy expressions melting into startled ones. "Who are _you?"_

Mikan tried very hard not to laughter. So these were some of Natsume's fan girls. She couldn't believe that they were actually addressing him with the "sama" honorific. Rather than feeling scared or intimidated, she found their behavior totally hilarious. With an enormous grin, she bobbed a quick bow. "I'm Sakura Mikan. Pleased to meet you!"

Before the girls could respond, Hotaru grabbed Mikan's wrist to pull her along. "Come on, baka," she griped. "You don't want to be late on your first day."

As soon as they'd gotten far enough away from the teenage girls, Mikan covered her mouth and released some of her pent up laughter. "Oh, _kami,_ I can't believe they actually call you Natsume-sama! Hearing about it is one thing, but seeing it is completely different."

"Glad you find it so amusing," Natsume growled lowly.

Mikan chuckled. "Oh, Natsume, I know it bothers you, but really, it's so ridiculous that I can't help laughing. Did you see the way they fluttered their eyelashes at you?" She snorted as she quickly covered her mouth again to stifle another round of laughter.

All along the way, the incident seemed to repeat itself as fellow students (mostly female) stopped to greet them, most of them directing their bows and smiles at Natsume. Almost every time, he would nod curtly, his expression neutral; however, a rare few received an actual spoken greeting from him, all of them boys who addressed him as "Taicho" or "Natsume-taicho" and acknowledged Ruka as well. Ruka leaned over Hotaru's head to quietly narrate to Mikan that they were old teammates from soccer, which reminded her that Natsume had been the Team Captain the previous year and the Vice-Captain the year before that.

Whether they were boys or girls, genuine acquaintances or simply Natsume's admirers, everyone who spoke to them had one thing in common. Each and every one of them started off smiling and ended up with their eyes landing on Mikan. After that, their expressions ranged from surprise to curiosity to shock to animosity. By the time the quartet made it to the steps leading up to the front doors of the High School Division, Natsume, Hotaru, and even Ruka had counted at least a dozen whispered conversations taking place immediately after people spotted Mikan walking alongside them as if she belonged there.

"Mikan-chan!"

Mikan looked up at the sound of her name being hailed from the top of the front steps. She grinned. "Koko!"

Grinning broadly, the teenage boy raced down the stairs and promptly spun her around in a warm hug. "You made it! Come on, we have Fine Arts Survey 1st period. Let's go!" Before he could move, a hand reached out to whack the back of the excited boy's head.

"Way to be subtle, _genius,"_ Sumire scolded her boyfriend in hushed tones. Wakako, Mochu, and Kitsu were right behind her. "Anyone who hadn't noticed her before definitely has now." She was right. Almost every eye in the area was now on their group, or more specifically, on Mikan.

"It's fine! Mikan-chan is going to take the academy by storm anyway, so why not start with a grand entrance?" Koko defended himself cheerfully.

"Just watch out for her this morning, okay? Don't leave her alone," Sumire instructed. Mikan cocked her head curiously, wondering why her friend was being so cautious already when nothing had even happened yet.

"Don't worry, Permy, I'll be fine! This is my school now, too. I have to figure out how to get along sometime."

Koko beamed. "There you have it! I'll watch out for her though, just in case any vampires try to suck her blood." He quickly pecked Sumire's cheek. "We'll see you in Algebra. Save us some seats! Bye, guys!" Without further ado, he swung his arm around Mikan's shoulders, winked at Natsume, and headed up the stairs. They watched silently as the energetic pair headed inside, chatting and laughing as they went.

"And there she goes." Smiling, Ruka squeezed Hotaru's hand as he glanced between her face and Natsume's. "You two going to be okay with her out of your sights for a few hours?"

Neither of them said a word as they headed up the steps and into the building.

Since Mikan didn't need anything out of her locker, she happily followed Koko up the nearest staircase as he led her towards the art studio where their 1st period class would be held. Though they got plenty of stares and curious looks along the way, it was far less than she'd received on her way from the East Gate to the High School Division and had more to do with the pair's vibrant presence and Koko's popularity than with Mikan herself.

When they reached the right room, Koko dropped his arm from Mikan's shoulders so they could step through the doorway one at a time. To their left stood a series of large metal sinks for cleaning paint brushes and other messy materials. To their right, the teacher sat at her desk in the corner next to a gigantic white board that took up most of the front wall. The far wall across from the doorway was filled with windows, allowing plenty of natural light into the space. The back wall to their left was covered from floor to ceiling with storage. The main floor space was occupied by large square tables with one chair per side, allowing four students to sit at each table. All around the room were posters depicting famous works of art, describing various art techniques, and other educational information. After quickly scanning the room, Koko grinned and pulled Mikan in the direction of a table near the windows where two girls were already seated. They looked up as the pair approached.

"Good morning, Anna-chan! Nonoko-chan!" Koko greeted brightly.

"Good morning, Koko-kun! It's nice to see you again," the first girl replied sweetly. She was incredibly pretty with a ponytail of loose, wavy curls a beautiful shade of light pink tumbling down around her shoulders. Her crystal clear, cerulean blue irises turned towards Mikan curiously, but with no sign of hostility.

"How was your summer?" the second girl asked. Even while sitting, Mikan could tell that she was tall and athletically built. Her ramrod straight, navy blue hair was almost as long as Mikan's and was pulled back in a high ponytail. She smiled at Koko before glancing at Mikan with eyes the exact same shade as her hair.

"It was great! Would it be okay for my friend and I to sit here with the two of you?"

"Of course!" the pink haired beauty replied with a friendly smile.

Mikan offered the pair a bright smile of her own as she bowed. "I'm Sakura Mikan. Pleased to meet you!"

The two girls stood to return the gesture. "Umenomiya Anna. Pleased to meet you, too!" the pinkette introduced herself.

"Ogasawara Nonoko. Pleased to make your acquaintance," the bluenette echoed.

As the four took their seats, Koko smiled broadly. "Mikan-chan is a good friend of mine and best friends with Hotaru-san. Today is her first day at Alice Academy."

Nonoko looked surprised. "Really? I've taken quite a few classes with Imai-san. She's the most brilliant girl in our grade."

Mikan beamed. "Hotaru's a genius! We've been best friends since we were five. I love her to pieces!"

Anna giggled. "That sounds just like Nonoko and I. So where are you from, Sakura-san?"

"Please, call me Mikan-chan," Mikan offered warmly, already liking the friendly girls. "I'm from a small village in the south where almost everyone is either a farmer or a fisherman. My last school was _tiny_ compared to this one, so I'm a bit nervous."

Nonoko grinned. "Well then, welcome to Alice Academy, Mikan-chan! Please call me Nonoko-chan. Let us know if you need anything and we'll be sure to help you. We've both been students here all our lives, so we pretty much know what to expect."

"Please call me Anna-chan as well, Mikan-chan," Anna added.

Koko watched with a self-satisfied smile as the three girls continued to get to know each other, getting along exceedingly well right from the get-go. As more students filed in the door, he turned to greet several of them happily, leaving his tablemates to their conversation. When the bell rang signaling the official start of the school day, Narita-sensei closed the door and went to stand at the front of the room. A black smock, black leggings, and black flats gave the middle-aged teacher a minimalistic, artsy look, emphasized all the more by her short black haircut.

"Good morning, students. Please rise. Bow. Sit." After the class had completed her first instructions, she continued. "I am Narita-sensei and this is Fine Arts Survey. If you read the syllabus, then you know that this course is the only required fine arts credit of your high school careers and will cover art history as well as art practicum. Your mid-term and final exams will be comprised of both a written test and a portfolio showcasing your artwork from the semester. Now, seeing as how we only have a limited time together this morning due to the beginning of school ceremony, if you have any questions, you can ask me on an individual basis after class. For now, I'd like to take roll call and hear you introduce yourselves by name and favorite artist, work of art, and type of art to create yourself. There are only 20 of you, so we should be able to finish before heading downstairs." She placed a pair of glasses hanging around her neck onto the bridge of her nose and began reading. "Arai Kimiko."

A girl with curly red hair stood up from her seat near the front of the room and bowed to the teacher. "Arai Kimiko. My favorite artist is Claude Monet, my favorite piece is _Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies,_ and my favorite type of art is painting with acrylics."

"Very good. Endo Tohru."

The boy sitting nearest to Koko stood up. "Endo Tohru. My favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci, my favorite work of art is the Mona Lisa, and my personal favorite art to create is sculpting with clay."

The class continued in this manner until the teacher reached Nonoko's name. "Ogasawara Nonoko. My favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh, my favorite piece is _The Starry Night,_ and my favorite type of art is photography."

"Excellent choice. Sakura Mikan."

Mikan stood up and smiled brightly. "I'm Sakura Mikan. My favorite artist is Thomas Kincade, I love too many of his paintings to choose just one, and I think my favorite type of art that I ever created was paint stamping."

Narita-sensei's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Paint stamping?"

"Yes, ma'am. It was a project we did at my middle school. We sketched images on rubber pads, carved out the images, then rolled paint onto the pads to create stamps. We got to mix our paints and re-stamp them over and over again to get different results each time. The images turned out beautifully. It was a lot of fun!"

"I see," Narita-sensei mused before smiling. "The first and foremost purpose of art is to evoke emotion, both for the artist and the viewer. If it brought you joy to make, then it served its purpose." Turning back to her attendance sheet, Narita-sensei continued. "Sasaki Daichi."

Mikan quickly took her seat as the next student stood. When she noticed several people staring at her from around the room, she gave them a friendly smile. They all turned back towards the teacher without appearing to acknowledge her presence any further.

Koko was the last student on the roll call. "Yome Kokoro, known as Koko. My favorite artist is Andy Warhol, my favorite work of art by him is the Campbell's soup can, and the best type of art to create is paintball or darts and paint-balloon art."

Narita-sensei quirked an eyebrow. "Why is the Campbell's soup can your favorite piece? It's hardly the most colorful or dramatic example of Warhol's work."

Koko grinned. "That's why I love it. He took the most random, ordinary thing that he could possibly paint and made it iconic."

Narita-sensei nodded. "Fair enough. Alright class, leave your belongings here and line up as I call your name. Since the weather is nice today, the opening ceremony is being held in the quad. Our class will assume position 47, so Arai-san, please look for that number and lead the line to its proper location."

By 8:30 a.m., the entire population of Alice Academy's High School Division had assembled in the quad behind the collection of buildings. Although Mikan glanced around for her friends, she couldn't spot any of them in the massive gathering. There were easily over a thousand students, which was more than Makikawa Elementary, Middle, and High Schools combined.

She was surprised by the number of people on the temporary stage that had been erected for the short event. She assumed that the group of students sitting together was the Student Council because she spotted Yuu among them, but she had no idea who the various groups of adults were. The only three she recognized were Principal Masachika, Narumi-sensei, and Misaki-sensei, having met the three of them last week. There was an older man with a severe facial expression sitting beside Misaki-sensei and Mikan guessed that he must be Jinno-sensei since she remembered Narumi-sensei naming him as the 3rd Year Faculty Advisor. She grimaced. Jinno-sensei was her Algebra teacher and she wasn't looking forward to meeting him 3rd period.

Leaning forward, she whispered to Nonoko, "Who are all of those people on the right?"

Without looking back at her, Nonoko whispered, "They're some of the school's major donors and supporters. There was always a group just like them at our elementary and middle school opening ceremonies. They show up for stuff like this throughout the year." Mikan nodded, her eyes moving to the podium in the center of the stage as Principal Masachika stepped forward.

The opening ceremony wasn't very different from the ones Mikan was used to at her old school, just longer. Principal Masachika gave a speech welcoming the students and faculty back for another year and encouraging everyone to do their best and to uphold the Alice Academy name. Next, the three faculty advisors each gave shorter speeches directed at the students in their respective grade levels. Mikan couldn't help grinning at Narumi-sensei, who was by far the most lively and animated speaker of the group. This series of speeches was followed by yet another speech, this one given by the Student Council President. His speech consisted primarily of reminders to the students regarding various school policies and procedures. Next, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year Class Representatives each introduced themselves, after which Principal Masachika returned to the podium to present an award to one of the donors who had achieved Platinum Donor status for contributing at or above the Diamond Level (whatever that was) for 25 years. Finally, the students recited the Alice Academy anthem (which Mikan hadn't learned yet, so she mouthed along silently and hoped that no one noticed) and the Japanese national anthem.

Before dismissing them, Principal Masachika reminded the students that due to the opening ceremony, 2nd period had already begun, so they should return to their 1st period classrooms to gather their belongings and then head straight to their 2nd period classes, being mindful that the bell had already sounded. As soon as she reached Narita-sensei's classroom, Mikan exhaled loudly.

"Phew! That was a long time to stand still like that. The opening ceremony at my last school was never that long."

Nonoko smiled as they both headed towards their table to collect their bags. "At least it helps the first day go by faster. We have a shortened 2nd period and then all that's left before lunch is 3rd period."

"What's your next class?" Mikan asked hopefully, wondering if maybe they'd get to stay together.

"Calculus I with Jinno-sensei."

Mikan winced. "I'm nervous about meeting Jinno-sensei. I have him for Algebra 3rd period. I'm about to head to Biology with Misaki-sensei next."

"Those are my next two classes!" Anna announced brightly as she and Koko joined them.

"Really? That's great!" Mikan chirped. "Koko has 2nd period Biology and 3rd period Algebra, too. Would it be okay if we all sat together again?"

"Of course," Anna replied sweetly as she picked up her school satchel. "Let's go."

The four students headed out the doorway, bowing goodbye to Narita-sensei as they went. As they made their way through the halls of the High School Division, they happily compared the rest of their class schedules. Apparently, Nonoko was very gifted in the sciences, so she was taking Advanced Biology 3rd period in addition to her 2nd period Calculus I class. As it turned out, she did have the same two afternoon classes as Mikan, 4th period Japanese I with Narumi-sensei and 5th period Japanese History with Noda-sensei, which Anna and Koko would also be taking on a flip-flopped schedule from Mikan and Nonoko.

Halfway to Misaki-sensei's classroom, Nonoko suddenly veered off a different direction. "Jinno-sensei's classroom is this way. I'll see you guys at lunch!"

"Bye, Nonoko-chan!" Mikan waved happily to the bluenette before continuing on with Anna and Koko. She really didn't know what she'd been so nervous about; she was having a great day so far and had already made two new friends. If this was what attending Alice Academy would be like all the time, she knew she was going to love it.

Misaki-sensei's Biology class was uneventful. Mikan and Anna took seats at a lab bench for two in the front row closest to the window while Koko sat with one of his former soccer teammates at the bench right behind them. Since it was 10 o'clock already, leaving only 45 minutes left of the normally one-and-a-quarter hour period, Misaki-sensei just took roll call and reviewed the syllabus before allowing the students to socialize for the remainder of the time. Mikan chatted happily with Anna as they waited for the bell to dismiss them.

"So they mentioned during the opening ceremony that club sign-ups will happen next week?"

Anna nodded. "Sports tryouts are always the first Saturday morning of the school year and club sign-ups are due by the second Monday. The administrators want us focusing on our classes during the first week, which is why none of the extracurricular offerings begin until the second week."

Mikan grinned. "That makes sense. Oh, I'm so _excited!_ Alice Academy has so many amazing activities that weren't available at my last school, so I can't wait to try something new. Do you and Nonoko-chan normally join any clubs, Anna-chan?"

The sweet pinkette shook her head, the soft curls of her ponytail swishing around her shoulders. "Nonoko plays on the girls' volleyball team, but I don't really participate in any school-sponsored clubs. I spend a lot of time at my parents' bakery after school. Baking is my passion and I'm getting more hands-on experience training there than I could at a cooking club."

"Your parents' bakery?" Mikan blinked. Something about that seemed so familiar—"Oh my goodness! You're _Umenomiya_ Anna! Of course! Your parents must own Umenomiya's!" When Anna nodded, Mikan bounced in her seat as she squealed excitedly, her amber eyes shining brightly. "I heard about it from the Hyuuga's head cook. She said you have the most _amazing_ confections she's ever seen. Oh, I can't wait to visit sometime! It's one of the things I've been looking forward to most here in Tokyo!"

Anna laughed, her voice tinkling like delicate chimes. "Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you say that." She blushed softly. "To be honest, some of our classmates don't really… _respect_ my family. They think our business isn't really that 'serious' or something since it's 'just' a bakery and not something more influential, despite its success. My parents started Umenomiya's together and have worked tirelessly to build it into the multi-branch company that it is today. We make everything from pastries and cakes to gourmet chocolates and confections. We sell them in our shops, take custom orders, and cater desserts for private events. My parents and the bakery itself have won all kinds of awards in the culinary industry for their innovative creations. I'm really quite proud of them."

Mikan's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "That all sounds spectacular, so I can't imagine why people would judge it badly. I think a bakery is an incredibly wonderful business to be a part of! Sweets bring people joy and people need more joy in their lives."

Anna's cerulean blue irises twinkled merrily. "That's what my parents have always taught me to believe. Desserts should make people smile. If they don't, they're worthless." Biting her lip, she leaned closer and lowered her voice. "When I said that some students can be judgmental… I don't want to make you think that everyone here is like that. There are lots of normal, friendly people here at Alice Academy; it's just that there are also some who value things like wealth, social status, power, and influence above all else. Even those students aren't so bad if you don't directly socialize with them, but there's a smaller group that come from families with 'old money'— families that have been wealthy for generations and control very old, well established businesses— who think that families like mine aren't as important because we're what they call 'new money,' families whose wealth was only acquired within one or two generations and who own relatively younger companies." She looked sheepish. "I feel bad speaking poorly about others, but you seem so nice and down to earth—plus you're friends with Koko-kun and he seems to attract the right kind of people— so I just want to caution you about what you may encounter here. From what you told us about your family situation earlier, you definitely fall into the same category of 'new money' as I do."

Mikan chuckled unconcernedly as she shook her head. "I'm probably even lower on the totem pole than that, Anna-chan, since my family doesn't even own a business. I'm paying my way through school with life insurance money I inherited from my parents. It probably doesn't matter anyway; I've been warned repeatedly that even if I did come from a super wealthy, powerful family, I'd still be unpopular because I'm friends with Natsume."

Anna blinked. "Natsume? _Hyuuga_ Natsume? Are you really friends with him?"

"Yes, I am. Why, are you or Nonoko-chan fans of his?"

Anna giggled quietly. "Not at all, I'm just surprised to hear that you're friends with him. We've gone to school together since kindergarten of course, but he's always seemed so standoffish around girls that we've never really gotten to know him. Granted, a lot of other girls like him for his looks, skills, and family, but the only ones I know of that are close to him are Koko-kun's girlfriend Shouda-san, his friend Usami-san's twin sister, and your best friend Imai-san."

Mikan grinned. "Yeah, Natsume isn't the super friendly type and doesn't really care for girls who drool over him. He's been one of my best friends since we were five though, along with Hotaru and Ruka-pyon. They all vacation near my home each summer."

Anna tilted her head curiously. "Ruka… _pyon?"_

Mikan opened her mouth to explain the odd nickname, but was interrupted by the bell signaling the end of 2nd period. The girls quickly slipped their satchel straps over their heads and headed out the door, not wanting to risk being late on their first day. Koko was right behind them as they made their way towards Jinno-sensei's classroom. Since Nonoko had Advanced Biology 3rd period in the room they'd just left, they were able to smile and wave when they passed each other in the hallway as they switched classrooms. "They don't call him Jin-Jin-kara for nothing," she warned in a stage whisper. "Good luck!"

Mikan and Anna exchanged wide-eyed glances, bracing themselves for what lay ahead. When they reached the correct room number in the mathematics wing, they hesitantly peaked in the door before stepping inside. Jinno-sensei was sitting at his desk looking over a stack of papers and completely ignoring the incoming students. When her gaze swept over the rest of the classroom, Mikan immediately spotted Sumire and Wakako having a hushed conversation in the back of the room. Beaming, Mikan grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her along as she skipped towards their seats.

"Sumire-chan! Wakako-chan! You're here!" The girls immediately looked up at the sound of their names, their faces registering surprise when they saw Anna being towed along by Mikan. "This is my new friend Umenomiya Anna. Anna-chan, these are my friends Shouda Sumire and Usami Wakako."

Sumire rolled her eyes. "We know each other, baka. We've gone to school together our whole lives. You don't have to introduce us like we've never met before."

Mikan laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Turning to Anna, she smiled broadly. "Sit with us, Anna-chan!"

Anna looked hesitant. "It's okay, I can sit over—"

"Sit with us," Sumire interrupted, her tone confident, but not commanding. "You have a good reputation, so I'm glad that Mikan-chan has made friends with you."

Anna looked surprised. "My reputation really isn't that good actually…"

Wakako smirked. "The part of your reputation that matters to us is good. We don't care about wealth or social status. We care that you're nice and not a drama queen."

"And not one of Natsume-san's crazy super fans," Sumire added distastefully.

Smiling, Mikan and Anna hung their bags on the desks directly in front of Sumire and Wakako, spinning their chairs around so they could see each other as they talked. Koko had been watching the exchange smugly, proud of his part in bringing the girls together. After pecking Sumire's cheek, he sat down beside her as the girls continued their conversation.

Wakako eyed Anna with interest. "You know, I've always wanted to get my hands on your hair. This shade of pink is so rare. It goes with your skin tone perfectly."

Anna blushed shyly. "Thank you." Swallowing, she confessed, "I'm ashamed to admit that I've kind of always assumed you two might be snobs. I shouldn't have judged you without getting to know you better." She was relieved when both girls grinned.

"It comes with the territory of being attached to the fashion industry," Sumire replied with a shrug. "We're unrepentantly prima donnas when it comes to clothing, hair, and make-up, which can come across as being arrogant and shallow, so it's only natural that you thought we might be stuck up. It's a false stereotype, but a common stereotype nonetheless."

"You and your friend—what's her name? Ogasawara-san?— should join us at Eternal Sakura later this week to pick out dresses for the Sakuradia if you haven't already," Wakako suggested. "Sumire here could dress you girls to the nines."

"It's true," Mikan chipped in with a grin. "Sumire-chan can make anybody look fabulous."

Sumire nodded as she studied the girl's features. "I'd love to get you two in some of Eternal Sakura's designs. I can already think of several that could look stunning on the pair of you."

Anna blinked before smiling brightly. "Okay! That sounds great. Thank you!"

"So how has your morning been so far?" Sumire asked, quirking an eyebrow as she turned her attention to Mikan.

"It's been great! I made friends with Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan in Fine Arts Survey first thing this morning. Koko introduced us. Narita-sensei and Misaki-sensei both seem nice and I haven't gotten lost yet. Overall, it's been a good morning so far."

"Hmm…" Sumire glanced at her boyfriend, her expression cautious. "So no one has approached you yet asking questions about your identity?"

Mikan shook her head vigorously. "Nope! Not a one."

Clicking her tongue, Sumire's emerald eyes observed her closely. "I see." She brushed her forest green locks behind one ear. "They're probably gathering information before making any moves. Wakako and I overheard some girls talking in the bathroom before last period. They googled you and couldn't find anything, so they were wondering if you're going by an alias because you're actually someone really important."

Wakako snorted. "One of them even suggested that maybe you've been raised overseas and that's why they've never heard of you."

Mikan's jaw dropped. _"Seriously?_ They _googled_ me? That's kind of creepy. All that speculation just because I was seen _walking_ with Natsume this morning? We weren't even walking next to each other! Ruka-pyon and Hotaru were both between us."

"It's not just that you were seen interacting with his inner group," Wakako piped up, "it's that you were seen being very familiar with _Hotaru-san._ She's the heiress to the mega-important Imai Tech and she has a reputation of being very choosy about who she's close with, so rumors are already circulating about who you could be to merit a place in the Ice Queen's posse. That's what really seemed to make them nervous, the idea that if you're someone important enough to be acknowledged by Hotaru-san, then maybe that gives you access to Natsume-san and the means to compete for him."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "That is _so_ stupid. I'm close to their precious Natsume-sama, so I have to be someone they'd consider a worthy opponent? Is he not allowed to be friends with normal, ordinary girls?"

"Of course not," Sumire spat disgustedly. "They think he only deserves the best, the cream of the crop. Very few girls are good enough for him in their eyes, yet of course, every single one of them considers herself to be the perfect candidate."

With a sigh, Mikan turned to Anna, who had been listening silently. "Sorry, Anna-chan. I'm sure this all sounds really pathetic to you. I mentioned before that I'm friends with Natsume and I've repeatedly been warned that his fan girls here won't like that. Apparently, it's true."

Anna smiled. "I'm not surprised. Hyuuga-san has been the most sought after guy in our grade since pretty much… well, always. Nogi-san used to be really popular with the girls, too, until he started dating Imai-san when we all reached middle school."

Koko laughed. "Yeah, _no one_ is about to compete with Hotaru-san for him."

Mikan grinned. "I don't blame them. Hotaru is sheer perfection and Ruka-pyon isn't about to let her go for anything."

Sumire was eyeing Koko suspiciously. "You really didn't hear anything being said about Mikan-chan this morning? You're normally one of the first people to catch wind of new gossip."

Koko grinned cheekily. "I haven't _heard_ anything, but I have _noticed_ things. There was a lot of staring in our first two classes, along with some texting and a few whispered conversations that were definitely about her. I even caught Suzuki Rima snapping a picture of her on her cell phone in the hallway on our way here."

Sumire snorted. "Of course she would. Suzuki-san fancies herself one of Natsume-san's most loyal admirers."

Mikan blinked at him. "Really? I didn't notice any of that."

Wakako rolled her eyes. "Why does that not surprise me? Be more aware of your surroundings, baka. You're going to be the hottest topic on campus for awhile. You should be prepared for people to be abnormally interested in you."

Mikan exchanged a sidelong glance with Anna before shrugging. "To be honest, I don't really care if people want to gawk at me or speculate about me behind my back. If someone wants to introduce themselves and get to know me, that's fine, but I don't plan to bother myself with closet skeptics and hearsay."

Anna smiled. "That sounds like a wise way to look at things."

Just then, a wide grin spread across Koko's face when something caught his attention at the front of the room. Mochu and Kitsu came rushing up the aisle towards the group just as the bell rang signaling the start of class. They quickly slipped into the seats beside Mikan and Anna, ignoring the empty desk beside the window next to Wakako.

"Phew," Kitsu whispered, "we made it."

"Barely," Mochu grumbled. "Tomorrow, I choose the route."

Mikan smiled as she and Anna corrected their chairs to face the front, all eyes turning to Jinno-sensei as he stood up from his desk, shut the classroom door, and stood with a clipboard at the front of the room. "I am Jinno-sensei and this is Algebra. If you're not in the right place, please leave immediately and check your schedule more closely next time. For those of you who are where you're meant to be, it is your own responsibility to familiarize yourself with the course syllabus, so we will not be wasting class time doing so today. When I call your name, respond only with 'here.' The seats you are in now will be yours until I say otherwise."

Jinno-sensei then proceeded to take the fastest, most succinct roll call that Mikan had ever witnessed. As soon as he was finished, he handed a stack of papers to the student in the first seat. "Take one and pass them along. You are permitted only a pencil and a calculator. Any cheating will result in an immediate failure. You are to put away any smart watches or cell phones; any seen will be confiscated and turned in to the office. This test covers all of the skills that you should be competent in from middle school mathematics. Turn your test in face down on my desk when you finish. You have until the end of the period. Start."

* * *

When Tobita Yuu entered Misaki-sensei's classroom for his 3rd period Advanced Biology class, his eyes immediately fell on Nogi Ruka and Imai Hotaru sitting at a lab bench towards the back of the room. Just behind them sat Hyuuga Natsume in the very last row with an empty seat beside him. With a smile, the 1st Year Class Representative headed towards the small group.

"Good morning, Hotaru-san, Ruka-san, Natsume-san." After the trio returned his greeting, Yuu turned to Natsume with a smile. "May I take that seat?"

"Please do," Natsume responded, inclining his head agreeably. It wasn't unusual for Yuu to sit with them when their classes aligned since they were all exceptionally smart and Natsume was grateful to have the empty spot beside him claimed by someone sane before one of his fan girls got brave enough to try to take it.

When Ruka spoke, Yuu turned to see the princely blonde smiling amiably at him. "How was your summer, Yuu-san?"

"It was lovely, thank you, Ruka-san. How was yours?"

"Great. We always enjoy getting away from the city for a couple months." After glancing at his best friend, Ruka continued. "Mikan-chan told us that she enjoyed the campus tour you gave her last week. She said that the two of you are going to the Sakuradia together next month."

Yuu smiled broadly, his light brown irises shining brightly. "It was my pleasure. Mikan-chan was very enthusiastic and cheerful, so I had a great time, too. I'm looking forward to escorting her to the Sakuradia. She seems like the kind of person who has fun no matter what she's doing."

"She is. As far back as I can remember, she's been very optimistic, always looking on the bright side of things. She's been our dear friend since we were small."

Yuu's expression became inquisitive. "That's what it sounded like when she was describing her friendship with all of you. I'm pleased to know that she already has such good friends here at the academy. She seemed especially enamored with you, Hotaru-san."

The girl in question snorted. "Of course she did, the _baka."_

Yuu looked surprised by the insult. "She said that the two of you are best friends."

"We are," Hotaru answered simply. "She's still a baka and a crybaby."

Ruka chuckled. "She _can_ be a bit reckless, to be fair, and she's definitely very open with her emotions."

Yuu smiled. "I see."

"Why did you ask her?"

Looking beside him, Yuu blinked at Natsume, who had remained silent until now. "Pardon?"

Natsume's garnet eyes regarded him steadily. "Why did you ask her to the Sakuradia?"

Yuu met his gaze unwaveringly, his expression innocent. "I never bothered having a date in middle school so that I could always focus on my role with the Student Council while at social events, but I've been thinking that I should start gaining the experience of escorting girls now that I'm in high school. Mikan-chan seems like someone that I could have a really good time with."

Natsume's tone was devoid of emotion. "So you felt attracted to her?"

"Oh yes," Yuu replied honestly with no hint of hesitation.

"Romantically?"

His look turned pensive. "Maybe..." As he searched Natsume's face for understanding, something suddenly seemed to dawn on him. "She definitely caught my interest, but I barely know her, so I can state honestly that my intentions towards her at the moment are purely for the sake of developing a friendship. I can assure you that I have no inappropriate motives and will treat your friend with the utmost respect when I escort her."

A small smile flashed across Natsume's face. "I'm sure you will, Yuu-san. Thank you for indulging my curiosity."

Yuu smiled genuinely as he adjusted his glasses. "I understand, Natsume-san. I apologize if my behavior worried you. It didn't occur to me until now what it must have looked like from your all's perspectives, having your close friend asked out by someone who just met her. Like I said, I've never asked a girl out before, so I didn't stop to think about how it must have appeared." He felt relieved when his lab bench companion shrugged dismissively.

"Don't sweat it. I really wasn't that worried, since it was you."

The subtle compliment was duly noted as the bell rang and class began. As Misaki-sensei took roll call and reviewed the syllabus, Natsume mulled over the specimen that was Tobita Yuu. The dirty blond had always gotten along well with Natsume and his posse, and he'd consistently demonstrated character qualities that Natsume respected. Perhaps it was high time that the two of them became better friends. Besides, if the teenager was going to be good friends with Mikan, Natsume wanted to keep him close anyway.

The two pairs of partners worked diligently until the teacher allowed them to socialize for the remaining ten minutes of the period. The four were chatting amiably when a shadow appeared beside Ruka and Hotaru's lab bench. "Excuse me, Imai-san?"

The violet-eyed beauty gazed calmly at the navy-haired girl. "Yes, Ogasawara-san?"

Nonoko offered her a small smile. "I met your friend Mikan-chan this morning. She's in my 1st period Fine Arts Survey class."

Ruka and Natsume both noticed the pleased glint that entered Hotaru's eyes at the news. "Good. She could use a friend like you."

Nonoko blinked in surprise. "Oh… thank you." Her smile quickly returned. "She seems really nice. Anna and I both really liked her, so I guess I just wanted to see if our first impression of her was accurate. I assumed it was since Koko-san said that she's a good friend of his, but since she named you as her best friend, I thought you'd be the one to ask."

"If your first impression of her was that she's unusually innocent, overly friendly, a chatterbox, authentic to the point of wearing her heart on her sleeve, naïve, and a good person with noble intentions, then yes, it was accurate."

Nonoko laughed. "I didn't quite pick up on all of that after one class together, but that answers my question. It seems Anna and I chose a good person to make friends with."

"You did," Hotaru acknowledged. "Please keep her in your care. As I said, she could use friends like you and Umenomiya-san."

"I can imagine why," Nonoko nodded, lowering her voice slightly. "When she told us a bit about her background, I couldn't help but worry that she might end up facing some of the same unjust scrutiny that Anna has at times. I'm happy to hear that she really is who she seemed to be. We'll be sure to watch out for her when we can. Anna has 2nd and 3rd period with her and I share both of her afternoon classes. Of course, we all have 1st period together, too."

"It seems that Mikan-chan is settling in well," Yuu spoke up from the back row. "I promised her that we would sit together in Japanese History 5th period, so I'll be sure to look for you as well, Ogasawara-san."

Nonoko smiled. "Thank you, Iinchou. So you've met Mikan-chan, too, then?"

He nodded. "I met her last week when she visited the campus for the first time. She seems to make friends easily."

When Nonoko bit her lip at the comment, Ruka's eyebrows furrowed in mild concern. "Is something wrong, Ogasawara-san?"

Hesitantly, Nonoko glanced at Hotaru before answering. "I just noticed a couple of the girls in our art class glaring at her. I have no idea why, but the dirty looks they were giving her seemed unusually hostile towards someone brand new."

Yuu frowned. "Are you sure?" When she nodded, he looked around at the others quizzically. "Why would anyone have a problem with Mikan-chan before even meeting her?"

"Jealousy," Hotaru spat.

When Yuu and Nonoko both tilted their heads in confusion, Ruka jabbed a thumb in Natsume's direction and explained. "It's because she's friends with this guy. You've probably noticed the unhealthy obsession that some girls have with Natsume. A few of them noticed her walking to school with us this morning and didn't seem very happy to see an unfamiliar girl hanging around him." They both frowned in understanding, their eyes wandering to Natsume's stone-faced expression.

Before the topic could be discussed further, the class abruptly ended. After Nonoko grabbed her school bag from a nearby lab bench, Hotaru spoke to her again. "You and Umenomiya-san should sit with us for lunch. Mikan would be happy to have her old friends and new friends sitting together on her first day." Nonoko smiled at the invitation. "You, too, Iinchou," Hotaru added to Yuu as the group made their way down the aisle towards the door. The class representative warmly accepted.

As the five teenagers drew closer to the High School Division's food court style cafeteria, Natsume found his eyes darting around in search of Mikan. Although he'd been pleased to learn that she'd already made two new friends (especially ones that Hotaru was so quick to approve of and he himself had never had a problem with), he just wouldn't feel satisfied until he saw for himself that she was okay.

The group had barely stepped through the cafeteria doors when the same greetings that Natsume and company had received on their way to 1st period that morning began ringing out again. He sighed irritably. By the time they'd crossed the entire length of the enormous room and reached the doors to the outdoor courtyard, he still hadn't seen any sign of Mikan. The courtyard was scattered with lunch tables of various sizes and attractively designed with gray stone paving, lush flowerbeds, flowering trees, and a water feature right in the middle. His eyes swept over the open space, but it was Nonoko who first spotted the amber-eyed girl as they rounded the courtyard's fountain centerpiece. "Anna! Mikan-chan!"

There she was, sitting at a table for 12 at the very back of the courtyard where the High School Division buildings ended and the vast, grassy quad began. Natsume's heart clenched with worry at the site of her sitting with her head buried in her arms on the tabletop. A pinkette he recognized as Umenomiya Anna sat beside her with a hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder while Wakako, Sumire, Koko, Kitsu, and Mochu sat across from the two girls. At the sound of Nonoko calling her name, Mikan raised her head. Immediately, she rushed forward to meet them, her expression miserable.

"Hotaruuuuuuu!" she whined piteously, throwing her arms around her stoic best friend. "The most terrible, awful, no good thing happened last period!" Leaning back, she gripped Hotaru's shoulders. "Jinno-sensei gave a test— _a test!—_ on the _first_ day of school! What kind of teacher _does_ that?"

Relief washed over Natsume as Hotaru replied blandly, "The kind who cares about his students' education."

"But Hotaruuuuu…" Mikan continued to lament as the newest arrivals began setting their bags down on the lunch table. "I haven't looked at a math problem harder than my grocery budget in _months._ How can Jinno-sensei expect us to remember all of that stuff without any kind of review?"

Yuu smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Mikan-chan, I'm sure you did fine. Even if you didn't, it's just a review exam. It's not the end of the world."

Mikan blinked at him blankly for a moment before a brilliant smile lit up her face, changing her entire countenance. "Iinchou! Hi!"

The class representative chuckled. "Hi, Mikan-chan."

"You're here!" Mikan squealed, grabbing his and Nonoko's hands. It was as if the surprise math test was completely forgotten. "Iinchou, do you know Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan? We became friends in art class this morning! Isn't that great?"

Yuu chuckled warmly. "I heard from Ogasawara-san. I'm happy to hear that you're settling in well."

"Do you know what you'd like to eat?" Nonoko asked her as Anna joined them.

Mikan grinned. "I have no idea, but I'm not picky, so I'll just grab something from wherever you guys go."

Natsume stood with his hands in his pockets, watching silently as Mikan headed off with Anna, Nonoko, and Yuu to get something to eat. Although it was good to see her happily hanging out with new friends, his sharp eyes noticed the stares and curious looks she received from several tables as her small group passed through the courtyard. Even knowing that she wasn't alone, the attention she was receiving made him want to keep an eye on her until she'd made it back to their table.

After Mochu volunteered to stay behind to watch everyone's bags, the remaining teens headed into the cafeteria, the boys walking towards a booth that served stir fry while Hotaru, Sumire, and Wakako split off to head for the salad bar. Natsume kept Mikan's group in the corner of his eye, which wasn't difficult since the food line they'd chosen wasn't very far away from the stir fry booth. He didn't notice anyone try to bother her as she chatted happily with her friends, placed her order, received her food, and headed outside.

After getting his lunch, Natsume waited until Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu had also received their stir fry orders (plus one extra for Mochu) before they all made their way back out to the courtyard. As soon as they passed through the exterior doors, Natsume mentally groaned. _"Shit."_

Hearing his low exclamation, the others stopped with him. When they spotted the reason for his sudden angst, Koko grinned. "Oh, boy, here we go!"

Less than twenty feet away, Mikan's group was being blocked by a pair of girls they knew only too well. Suzuki Rima and Kobayashi Mayuri had been a thorn in Natsume's side for years, becoming especially troublesome throughout middle school. They were two of his pushier, more outspoken admirers who gave his fan girls a bad rep among him and his close friends. Predictably, curious onlookers at nearby tables were watching the exchange without taking part, gleaning what information they could by listening from the sidelines.

Bracing himself for another unpleasant encounter, Natsume kept his expression dead neutral as he slowly approached, wanting to get close enough to hear what was being said, but not so close that his presence would be noticed yet. Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu silently followed close behind him.

"You'll have to excuse our curiosity," Kobayashi Mayuri was saying as she tossed her cascade of straight ebony locks over her shoulder. "It's just so rare for us to get new students here at Alice Academy."

"That's okay," Mikan replied cheerily. "I don't mind at all. Like I said, my last school was just the local public one, so nothing special."

"Then why won't you tell us the name of it?" Suzuki Rima asked, arms crossed haughtily as she cocked a thin eyebrow. The tall brunette sported a wispy bun on top of her head and her baby blue eyes regarded Mikan skeptically.

Mikan shrugged apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't. For security reasons, I'm not allowed to reveal where I'm from since the Hyuugas and Imais vacation there."

Rima and Mayuri both straightened, their eyes instantly widening. "You know where Natsume-sama vacations each summer?" Mayuri asked eagerly, her jade eyes blinking in astonishment. Unseen in the background, Natsume's companions exchanged glances. The location of the vacation home had been coveted knowledge among Natsume's fan girls for years, but had thankfully remained undisclosed.

Mikan smiled innocently. "I do."

Rima's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she calculated an unexpected possibility. "I beg your pardon, Sakura-san, but could it be that you only know the Hyuugas and Imais _because_ they vacation near your home?"

"Yep."

Mayuri glanced at Rima in disbelief. "So your family doesn't have any sort of business connections to either of them?"

Mikan seemed completely unperturbed by the direct line of questioning. "Nope. My parents are passed on and my grandfather is a Shinto priest, so we don't have any need to do business with Imai Tech or Hyuuga Defense Industries. I just became friends with their families by spending our summers together, that's all."

Rima blinked in confusion as she struggled to comprehend the idea. "So the reason we've never heard of you and there's not a _trace_ of you or your family on the internet is because you're just... a _nobody?"_

Mikan smirked. After her conversation with Kimura Kenta at the Starlight Lounge last week, she wasn't surprised by this kind of social prejudice. "I'm sure our definitions of a 'nobody' are quite different, but if significant wealth or power is what makes a person a 'somebody' in your book, then you probably would consider me a nobody."

Both girls stared at Mikan utterly dumbfounded. "Then what on earth are you doing at Alice Academy?" Mayuri blurted out disapprovingly.

"Kobayashi-san," Yuu intervened with a frown, "Mikan-chan is here for the same reason the rest of us are— to get a good education."

"But that's ridiculous," Rima protested, her voice dripping with disgust, all pretext of polite curiosity gone. "You expect us to believe that you're just some orphan charity case the academy let in on a whim? Because what, the Hyuugas or the Imais pitied you and begged the administration to admit you? Are you blackmailing their families into paying your tuition, too?"

Nearby, Natsume and Ruka both clenched their jaws, their eyes narrowing to slits. Even though they'd expected this type of attitude towards Mikan from some of their classmates, actually hearing them tear into her so degradingly made their tempers flare. They remained as they were though, trying their best to honor Mikan's request to handle these types of situations herself as much as possible. Nonoko, however, hadn't made any such agreement with Mikan and had listened silently to Rima and Mayuri's harsh words long enough. Her navy ponytail snapped sharply as she took a step forward, her tone scathing. "Well, that's a rather _uninformed_ and _undignified_ accusation, Suzuki-san."

Beside her, Mikan grinned, completely unfazed. "It's okay, Nonoko-chan. Maybe she doesn't know that it's impolite to inquire into other people's finances. I'm sure she didn't mean to be rude." She turned back to Rima, whose face was turning an unattractive shade of red at the passive insult. "I'm paying my own tuition. The Hyuugas and Imais are my friends, not my financial backers. Now if you'll excuse us." She attempted to sidestep the pair, but Rima was quick to block her again, leaning down to scowl in her face.

"Listen hear, you little _rat,"_ she hissed, "we've known Natsume-sama and his friends practically our whole lives and they've never _once_ mentioned you, so don't think for one _second_ that you can just waltz in here claiming to be anything more than a _parasite_ taking advantage of their families' philanthropy. I don't know how you weaseled your way in here, but whatever it was doesn't put you on our level. We're the best of the best here at Alice Academy and if you tarnish Natsume-sama's reputation or our school's in _any_ way, you'll be out of here faster than a race car on the Audubon."

As he listened, Yuu's jaw hung open in shock, unable to comprehend that a fellow classmate would speak so cruelly for such unjustified reasons. On Mikan's other side, Nonoko was bristling with indignation, outraged by the wrongful treatment the girl was receiving, reminding her so much of what her best friend Anna has occasionally experienced. Beside her, the pinkette looked on wide-eyed, her heart clenching painfully for her new friend.

Most of their audience wasn't close enough to hear Rima's speech, but could guess the nature of it by her body language and facial expression. They waited curiously for the new girl's response. Mikan surprised them all when she merely tilted her head and blinked cutely. "What's the Audubon?"

"It's a highway in Germany that doesn't have a maximum speed limit."

When the cluster of teens looked up to identify the new voice that had joined the conversation, Rima and Mayuri's faces lit up with angelic smiles. "Natsume-sama!" Mayuri skipped up to the handsome teenager, her face morphing into a flirtatious pout. "Sakura-san is trying to take advantage of your impeccable social standing. She's saying all _kinds_ of things about being close to your family and your friends' families." Behind her, Mikan bit her lip to keep from giggling. Clearly Mayuri was too blinded by her feelings to recognize the dark ire in Natsume's garnet eyes, a clear indication to those who knew him well that he was seriously pissed off.

"She is."

Mayuri's smile froze in place. "Pardon?"

Natsume balanced his lunch tray on one arm while his other hand fisted discreetly in his pocket. "She _is_ a close family friend, and not just of my family, but of the Imais and Nogis as well."

Rima glanced at Mikan uncertainly before taking a step towards Natsume. "But she's a _nobody,_ she said so herself." Behind the girls' backs, Mikan rolled her eyes. These fan girls really were just as obnoxious as she'd been warned.

Entirely fed up, Natsume turned towards Mikan, wordlessly dismissing Rima and Mayuri. "Come on, Polka Dots. We'll be late for 4th period if we don't eat soon." Turning his back, he continued across the courtyard. Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu followed his lead, expecting the girls' confrontation to end there.

"Polka Dots…?" Mayuri blinked. "Is that a nickname?"

Frowning speculatively, Rima opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Mikan's voice stopped her cold. "Coming, Natsume!"

The effect was instantaneous. Trembling with fury, Rima whirled around, her baby blue eyes glaring frostily. "How _dare_ you address Natsume-sama by his given name without an honorific!"

Mayuri was just as irate. "That proves it! If you really were his friend, you'd at least show him some respect!"

Mikan grinned. "I've always called him by his given name without an honorific, same as Hotaru and Ruka-pyon. They're my best friends!"

Rima growled. "Why you—"

Mayuri interrupted her with a hand on her arm. She was smirking triumphantly, as if she'd discovered a delightful loophole. "Oh, _I_ see! You're _Imai-san's_ friend and Natsume-sama just has to put up with you because she's his best friend's girlfriend. Well, that makes things simpler." Her lips curled into a malicious smile. "To think I actually made the mistake of admiring Imai-san before I learned what kind of low caliber associations she was making during her school breaks. If she insists on maintaining her friendship with you, I suppose it's only a matter of time before she sinks into the gutter with you." Several feet away, Ruka stopped dead in his tracks, his sapphire eyes becoming chips of ice as the ebony-haired oujo-sama blatantly insulted not only one of his best friends, but his girlfriend as well.

Yuu adjusted his glasses, his light brown eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Really, Kobayashi-san, this kind of talk is truly unbefitting—" His words cut off when Mikan raised a hand to silence him. He was taken aback by the menacing golden light that had filled her amber eyes.

" _Excuse me?"_ she hissed lowly. Anna and Nonoko blinked in surprise, not expecting the sudden change in the teenager's attitude. Rima and Mayuri, too, seemed caught off guard by her reaction. "Imai Hotaru is _flawless._ You can say what you want about me, but don't you _ever_ slander Hotaru."

Mayuri's lips pulled back in a sneer, ready to hurl another snide comment when a male voice firmly entered the conversation once again.

" _Mikan."_

An audible gasp arose from the onlookers. Poking her head around the pair of fan girls, Mikan saw that Natsume was looking back at her pointedly. "Hurry up." With a huff, she finally managed to skirt around the girls with Anna, Nonoko, and Yuu in tow. Mayuri and Rima simply stared after them, scandalized into silence.

When her small group had caught up to Natsume's, Mikan glanced up at him curiously as they made their way back to their table. "Why'd they suddenly give up?"

On Natsume's other side, Koko grinned. "Natsume called you by your given name without an honorific."

"Which has _never_ happened with a girl before," Kitsu snickered gleefully. "I think the shock was too much for them to handle."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Good grief. Do they keep a diary of everything he eats and every time he uses the bathroom, too?"

"Maybe," Kitsu joked back as they all sat down.

Pausing with a forkful of salad raised to her mouth, Sumire quirked an eyebrow at the returning group. "What took you all so long?"

After pecking her cheek, Koko replied, "Mikan-chan got accosted by Suzuki Rima and Kobayashi Mayuri."

" _No!"_ Sumire's eyes widened. "And I _missed_ it?! How'd it go?"

"Mikan-chan won," Kitsu cackled. "It was a little bit epic, not gonna lie."

"I didn't _win_ anything. There was nothing _to_ win," Mikan protested as she broke apart her chopsticks.

"I thought you were great, Mikan-chan," Anna complimented with a pretty smile. "You didn't seem intimidated at all."

The caramel-haired teenager shrugged. "Like I said before, I really don't care what other people think of me, but the dark-haired one did make me mad when she insulted Hotaru for being my friend."

Several seats away, Hotaru studied her boyfriend's agitated expression before rolling her eyes. "You two throw temper tantrums over the most pointless things. Do you really think my reputation is so fragile that either of those girls could leave a mark?"

"That's not the point," Mikan objected around a bite of rice. "I just don't like people making fun of my friends."

"I'm on your side, Mikan-chan," Nonoko contributed. "I think it's important to stand up for your friends when others are putting them down."

"I still can't believe they actually talked to you like that," Yuu lamented. "I knew some of our classmates have a rather high opinion of themselves for the wrong reasons, but the fact that they'd actually behave so improperly is shocking and shameful. I'm sorry you had to experience that, especially on your first day here, Mikan-chan."

Mikan smiled brightly. "It's okay, Iinchou! It really wasn't that bad actually. Based on everything I've been warned about, I'm prepared for much worse."

Wakako snorted. "Be careful what you wish for."

The teenagers continued to socialize as they ate. From the last seat, Natsume stared silently down at his plate with furrowed eyebrows as he dug into his beef and broccoli stir fry. Across from him, Mochu studied his friend's tense countenance. "You're angry."

Natsume's garnet eyes flashed with displeasure as he muttered darkly, "Damn right I'm angry. I don't appreciate spoiled Barbies bitching at my… _friend._ Polka Dots is better than all of them and _deserves_ better than all of them."

Mochu shifted his gaze down the table. "It sounds like she held her ground pretty well though, so she's no weakling."

Natsume's lips twisted into a wry smirk. "She may be strong and feisty, but she's also reckless and stubborn. She never should have let their comments about Imai rile her up like that."

"Says the guy whose blood is boiling because of comments made about _her,"_ Ruka quietly pointed out from beside him. "It's easy to say 'Don't let it get to you' in theory, but reality is quite different. I know because I'm in the same boat; they actually managed to tick _me_ off even though I thought I was prepared for this level of negativity and I usually have a much longer fuse than you."

"We'll all keep watching her back," Mochu vowed. "She said it herself, if this is the worst they dish out, she'll manage."

Ruka frowned. "And if it's not?"

Natsume glanced down the table. Mikan was happily chatting with her friends, all signs of the previous encounter gone. Her caramel tresses glistened in the sunlight as she threw her head back in a joyful laugh. Looking away, he met his best friend's concerned gaze. "We'll make sure they regret it."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay, so I've gotten messages from people who are _worried_ that Natsume and Mikan are going to have sex and I've gotten messages from people who _want_ them to have sex, so let me set the record straight. NO, Natsume and Mikan will NOT be having sex any time soon. They are 14, people (Natsume is almost 15, but still). Whether or not they have sex in their later teens remains to be seen, but for now, they are simply experiencing and experimenting with kisses and cuddles and desires, nothing over PG13 material. Honestly, when my kids are 14, I won't want them doing the kind of things that I'm having the characters do, but this is _fiction,_ and more importantly, _fan_ fiction. I enjoy squealing like a fan girl at the intimate scenes just like most of you, so there will be plenty of them, but they will progress in maturity _over time._ Plus, the Natsume in the manga/anime is a pervert, so even though I've toned down that part of him, I don't want to lose it entirely. Lastly, please keep in mind that this story is not rated MA, so I can't get too explicit anyway even when they're older. I hope this puts us all on the same page! Thanks!


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